Key result
Having a sibling with congenital heart disease is linked to adverse emotional, behavioral, and academic impacts.
Why the study?
Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect, but little is known regarding the impact of having a sibling with congenital heart disease.
What is the psychosocial impact on siblings of children with congenital heart disease?
Systematic Review
What is the psychosocial impact on siblings of children with congenital heart disease?
This review highlights that siblings of children with congenital heart disease experience adverse life changes and negative psychosocial impacts, underscoring the need for further contemporary research and support interventions.
Supports psychosocial screening and support for siblings of children with CHD; leaves open which interventions mitigate adverse effects.
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect. Little is known of the impact of having a sibling with CHD. Available literature documents negative impact of having a sibling with other chronic conditions. This literature review considers empirical evidence investigating the impact of having a sibling with CHD. Twelve databases were searched, and 202 articles retrieved. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria and were subject to data extraction, quality appraisal, and narrative synthesis. Three themes emerged: changes in normal life, impact on siblings, and factors affecting the extent of impact on siblings. Only one intervention study was identified, 5 of 10 studies were conducted over 20 years ago, and only 4 studies included children as participants. Evidence suggests siblings of children with CHD experience adverse life changes which lead to negative impacts in several domains. Evidence is inconclusive regarding mitigating factors of these impacts. Further research is needed to understand the experiences of being a sibling of a child with CHD.
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Parker et al. (2020) conducted a systematic review in Congenital heart disease (CHD) in a sibling. Having a sibling with congenital heart disease vs. Siblings of healthy children, siblings of children with other chronic conditions, or pre-diagnosis baseline was evaluated on Impact on siblings (psychosocial, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes). Having a sibling with congenital heart disease results in adverse life changes and negative impacts across emotional, behavioral, and academic domains, though mitigating factors remain inconclusive.
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