Genetic link between heart and neurodevelopmental disease

Children with significant congenital heart disease have a far better chance of surviving today than in decades past, thanks to major advances in surgery. But some infants who recover from repairs to their hearts later show the effects of delays in brain development, including impairments to cognitive, language and social functioning. Such impairments can affect how well these children do in school and in the workplace; they can even diminish their overall quality of life.