Sports camps for children with cardiac anomalies have existed for many years. However, no formal evaluation of the benefits of attending such camps has been undertaken heretofore. We assessed potential changes in the self-perceived health of children with congenital heart disease who attended a special sports camp. Thirty-one children with cardiac anomalies attended a 3-day multisports camp. Sixteen children, all of whom were 10 years or older, literate, and Dutch- or French-speaking, completed the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-CF87) before and after attending the camp. The scores of the children were compared with those of healthy peers by calculating mean standardized differences. After attendance at the sports camp, the children achieved significant improvements in the self-perception of their physical functioning, role functioning due to emotional problems, role functioning due to behavioral problems, mental health, and general behavior. The children's self-esteem and general behavior after the camp were significantly better than that of their healthy counterparts. We conclude that children with congenital heart disease who participate in activities at special sports camps may reap benefits in terms of their subjective health status. Although further research is needed, we recommend the participation in sport activities by children with heart defects, and more specifically their participation in sports camps.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Normal ranges of heart rate variability during infancy and childhood.

Heart rate variability is a noninvasive index of the neural activity of the heart. The present study examined heart rate variability indices in 210 infants and children aged 3 days to 14 years to obtain normal ranges for all age classes. Heart rate variability was measured by calculating mean RR interval over the length of the analysis, mean RR interval during quiet sleep, 5 time-domain (SDNN, SDNN-i, SDANN-i, r-MSSD, pNN50), and 4 frequency-domain (VLF, LF, HF, LF/HF ratio) indices. Our data show a significant positive correlation between all indices and the mean RR interval over the length of the analysis, except for the LF/HF ratio for which the correlation was binomial. A positive power correlation was also found between all parameters and age. The multiple correlation analysis confirmed the independent effect of age and mean RR interval on the heart rate variability. These data in a healthy pediatric population confirm a progressive maturation of the autonomic nervous system during childhood and may be utilized to examine the effects of underlying disease processes or therapeutic interventions on cardiac autonomic tone during infancy and childhood.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Role of exercise testing in the functional assessment of cerebral palsy children after botulinum A toxin injection.

The purpose of this clinical prospective study was to assess the effect of intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin A on energy cost of movement and walking endurance in 15 children with cerebral palsy, aged 4 to 13 years, by using incremental walking treadmill protocol to voluntary exhaustion. Oxygen-uptake response to exercise stress and endurance time were analyzed before and 2 and 6 months after botulinum toxin A injection. Endurance time was significantly improved 2 months after botulinum toxin A injection in 13 patients, and a residual improvement was still present 6 months after injection in some of them. The effect of botulinum toxin A on energy cost of movement was very variable. This study provides clinical evidence of the efficacy of botulinum toxin A in reducing the energy cost of movement and in improving the endurance of spastic muscles in children with cerebral palsy.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Treatment of retinoschisis with photocoagulation].

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Humans↗