Abstract Purpose: Parental adverse childhood experiences have been associated with poorer health outcomes for children in the general population. This single-centre study examined the prevalence of parental adverse childhood experiences in a sample of young children with single ventricle CHD, the associations between parental adverse childhood experiences and child health outcomes, and the moderating effects of parental stress and social support on the relationship between parental adverse childhood experiences and child health outcomes. Method: Parents ( N = 72) responded to questionnaires assessing demographic characteristics, parental adverse childhood experiences, social support, and stress. Child health outcomes (hospital admissions, length of stay, missed appointments) were assessed via parent-report and medical record review. Results: Half of parents (52.8%) endorsed exposure to at least one adverse childhood experience. In univariate analyses, children whose parents had a history of adverse childhood experiences were 1.78 times as likely to have more parent-reported hospital admissions ( p = 0.002) and 2.22 times as likely to have more missed visits ( p = 0.03) compared to children of parents without a history of adverse childhood experiences. Parental social support significantly moderated the relationship between parental adverse childhood experiences and total hospital length of stay ( p = 0.03). Specifically, for each unit increase in parents’ social support total score, parents with a history of adverse childhood experiences were likely to have an 83% reduction in their child’s length of stay. Conclusions: Parental adverse childhood experiences may be associated with poorer single ventricle CHD outcomes. Strengthening parental social support may improve health outcomes for children with single ventricle CHD in the setting of pre-existing psychosocial risk.
Dusing et al. (2026) studied this question.