Prevalence of epilepsy in children with structural heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
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Background
Children with structural heart disease (SHD), particularly congenital heart disease (CHD), are increasingly recognised as being at risk of adverse neurological outcomes. Although advances in cardiac surgery and perioperative care have markedly improved survival, epilepsy has emerged as an important long-term complication. Reported prevalence estimates vary considerably across studies, and the overall burden remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of epilepsy among children with SHD and explore differences according to geographic region, lesion characteristics, and surgical exposure.
Methods
This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 and MOOSE guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261378572). PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and ProQuest were searched for observational studies published between January 2000 and December 2025. Eligible studies included children aged 0–18 years with SHD or CHD reporting epilepsy prevalence or incidence. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Prevalence Studies. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Results
Eight cohort studies comprising 21,731 children were included. Studies were conducted across North America, Europe, and Asia and predominantly involved surgically managed CHD populations. The pooled prevalence of epilepsy was 3.0% (95% CI 1.3%–4.8%), substantially higher than estimates reported in the general paediatric population. Heterogeneity was considerable (I² = 98.0%; p < 0.001). The 95% prediction interval ranged from 0% to 8.1%, indicating substantial variability across populations. Narrative subgroup synthesis suggested higher epilepsy prevalence among children with cyanotic and complex lesions and among surgically managed cohorts, particularly those exposed to cardiopulmonary bypass and perioperative neurological complications. Most studies were rated as having low risk of bias, and sensitivity analyses demonstrated stable findings.
Conclusions
Children with SHD have a substantially increased burden of epilepsy compared with the general paediatric population. Complex lesions, perioperative neurological injury, and cardiac surgical exposure may contribute to epileptogenesis. Long-term neurological surveillance and multidisciplinary neurodevelopmental follow-up should be integrated into routine care for children with SHD.
