Cardiac rehab program for kids shows promising results in early studies

• A study indicates that many children with serious congenital heart disease, who are usually prescribed to restrict their activity, can improve their cardiovascular function and exercise capacity through a cardiac rehabilitation program.
• Researchers report that fifteen of 16 children participating in a 12-week rehabilitation program at Children's Hospital Boston showed significant gains in heart function.
• Congenital heart defects affect about 8 in 1000 newborns.
• Thanks to modern medicine most of these cases can be treated.
• The vast majority of these tiny patients have diminished exercise capacity after the defects are repaired, however some of this reduction is caused by a lack of activity.
• Cardiologist Jonathan Rhodes, says, "These kids haven't exercised much.
• They've been told by coaches, doctors, parents and teachers, 'Oh, you can't exercise.'"
• Rhodes continues, "Cardiac rehabilitation is not a component of most pediatric cardiology programs."
• Through all the testing none of the kids' results deemed the exercise testing negatively affecting their health.
• Rhodes says, "One game they particularly enjoyed was 'punch the doctor'" Referring to a game in which children threw punches at pieces of matting.
• "A lot of the kids were timid in the beginning, but they were really moving by the end.
• Being with other kids with heart disease who had never exercised helped melt away a lot of their anxiety.
• Rhodes's team also conducted follow-up exercise testing 1 year after the pre-program tests.
• The results, showed that participants' cardiac benefits were sustained, whereas non-participating children showed a slight decline in cardiac function.