Andre Vadimovich Moyakine1, Saskia Spillekom-van Koulil2, Catharina Joanna Maria van der Vleuten3. 1. Department of Dermatology, Radboud University Medical Centre, and the Radboudumc Expertise-Centre for Hemangioma, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Vascular Anomalies (Hecovan), Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Andre.Moyakine@radboudumc.nl. 2. Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Centre, and the Radboudumc Expertise-Centre for Hemangioma, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Vascular Anomalies (Hecovan), Nijmegen, The Netherlands. 3. Department of Dermatology, Radboud University Medical Centre, and the Radboudumc Expertise-Centre for Hemangioma, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Vascular Anomalies (Hecovan), Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Concern has been raised about the potential long-term effects of propranolol treatment for infantile hemangioma (IH). OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess psychologic (social, emotional, behavioral, and executive) functioning in children treated with propranolol for IH. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with IH (6.1-7.6 years of age) treated with propranolol for ≥6 months during infancy, and without other developmental risk factors, were recruited. Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Social Emotional Questionnaire, Child Behavior Checklist, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. For each questionnaire, the number of patients with abnormal scores, based on established cutoff points, was calculated. RESULTS: Only 1 child (3.7%) scored outside the normal range. The Hemangioma Severity Scale did not correlate with psychologic problems in these patients. Longer treatment duration was found to correlate with less attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) characteristics (ρ = -0.476; P = .012) and better executive functioning (ρ = -0.466; P = .014). LIMITATIONS: Exclusion of children born at gestational age <36 weeks or small for gestational age, no reference group and relatively small study size. CONCLUSION: We found no increased risk for psychologic problems at age 7 in IH patients treated with propranolol.
BACKGROUND: Concern has been raised about the potential long-term effects of propranolol treatment for infantile hemangioma (IH). OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess psychologic (social, emotional, behavioral, and executive) functioning in children treated with propranolol for IH. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with IH (6.1-7.6 years of age) treated with propranolol for ≥6 months during infancy, and without other developmental risk factors, were recruited. Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Social Emotional Questionnaire, Child Behavior Checklist, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. For each questionnaire, the number of patients with abnormal scores, based on established cutoff points, was calculated. RESULTS: Only 1 child (3.7%) scored outside the normal range. The Hemangioma Severity Scale did not correlate with psychologic problems in these patients. Longer treatment duration was found to correlate with less attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) characteristics (ρ = -0.476; P = .012) and better executive functioning (ρ = -0.466; P = .014). LIMITATIONS: Exclusion of children born at gestational age <36 weeks or small for gestational age, no reference group and relatively small study size. CONCLUSION: We found no increased risk for psychologic problems at age 7 in IH patients treated with propranolol.