The Relationship between Mitral Valve Prolapse and the Quality of Life in Children

Due to the conflicting results in the relationship between mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and quality of life (QOL) in children, and the evidence of reduced QOL in adult patients with heart disease, the present study aimed to investigate the possible effect of MVP on QOL in children.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 120 children referred to Amir-Kabir hospital in Arak, Iran, in 2020. First, echocardiography was performed to diagnose MVP in children, and then the children were divided into two groups with and without MVP. Then, the pediatrics QOL questionnaire (Peds QL) was completed in two forms of self-assessment by the child and parent reporting.

According to the self-assessment questionnaire of children, the average dimension of physical function in children with MVP was 72.53 ± 12.34, which was significantly lower than healthy children (P = 0.021). Moreover, according to the questionnaire reported by parents, the mean score of the emotional dimension of children with MVP was 58.18 ± 13.09, which was significantly lower than healthy children (P = 0.007).

Based on our results, children’s QOL is generally not affected by MVP, and only the physical function dimension in children and the emotional function dimension from the parent’s perspective was lower than healthy children. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the factors affecting the reduction of physical function in children with MVP.