Caregivers of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome perceive their siblings as struggling more than the children self-report. Siblings tend to report worse adjustment as they get older. These data suggest that programs should include support for the entire family through all ages to optimize quality of life.

Home monitoring improved IS weight gain in patients undergoing the hybrid procedure. Decreased weight gain per day was associated with IS mortality.

This study reports on a cohort of infants with single ventricle physiology following the hybrid procedure and found the incidence of aspiration to be lower than previously reported. Improved clinical bedside evaluation guidelines are needed so that clinicians can predict more reliably which infants are at risk for aspiration following the hybrid procedure.

There is a reported 5-20 % incidence of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) following stage I palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). This study compares the interstage mortality of HLHS patients supported with ECMO (HLHS-ECMO) to those who were not supported with ECMO (HLHS-nECMO) using the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Initiative database. Patients with HLHS who survived to hospital discharge after stage I palliation were analyzed. HLHS-ECMO patients were compared to HLHS-non-ECMO patients with respect to demographics, surgical variables, and interstage survival. A total of 931 patients were identified in the database. Sixty-six (7.1 %) patients were supported with ECMO during their stage I palliation admission. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups with respect to demographics or anatomic subtype. HLHS-ECMO patients were more likely to have a preoperative risk factor identified (62 vs. 48 %, p = 0.03) or require ECMO prior to stage I palliation (3 vs. 0.5 %, p = 0.03). HLHS-ECMO patients had a significantly higher incidence of death or transplant versus the HLHS-nECMO group (18 vs. 9 %, p = 0.03). Despite survival to discharge, patients with HLHS requiring ECMO after their palliation continue to have an increased risk of death/cardiac transplant versus patients that do not require ECMO. ECMO use is likely a marker for a high-risk patient group. These patients may benefit from closer follow-up during the interstage period.

Anxiety/stress scores of caregivers with children with HLHS are correlated with how well the child is perceived to be doing physically and developmentally by the caregivers. Caregivers with physical and/or developmental concerns may need added psychosocial support.