Associations of perioperative characteristics with motor function in preschool children born with esophageal atresia

Abstract

Background: Children born with esophageal atresia experience long-term neurodevelopmental deficits, with unknown origin. Aims: To find associations between perioperative variables during primary esophageal atresia repair and motor function at age 5 years. Methods: This ambidirectional cohort study included children born with esophageal atresia who consecutively had been operated on in the Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, from January 2007 through June 2013. The perioperative data of this cohort were collected retrospectively; the motor function data prospectively. Results: After exclusion of patients with syndromal congenital diseases (n = 8) and lost to follow-up (n = 10), the data of 53 children were included. The mean (SD) total motor function impairment z-score at 5 years of age was −0.66 (0.99), significantly below normal (p