Physical activity with congenital heart disease. Current options and future developments

BackgroundAdequate physical activity is an important component of ahealthy, age-appropriate development even in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD).ObjectiveThis article provides an overview on current structures of care and a current outlook on recent developments in the field of physical activity for children and adolescents with CHD.MethodsSelective review of the literature in PubMed in association with current guidelines and review articles.ResultsIn Germany there are three options for children and adolescents with CHD to participate in physical exercise activities. These include exercise with healthy people and depending on their disease severity exercise cohorts with other CHD patients or as an individual person. Access to sporting activities can be difficult for children and adolescents with CHD in individual cases. The reasons for this can be found in the areas of supply structures and organizations, as well as in the field of information policies for parents, sports trainers and teachers. This notably concerns patients with complex CHD, which may be accompanied by the risk of exercise-induced cardiac arrhythmias.ConclusionAn age, disease and demand-specific cardiological care for children and adolescents with CHD is urgently needed, ideally with additional skills in sports medicine. Contemporary e-health solutions as add-ons to local care may enable improvement in the access options for physical activity of patients with CHD, individualize care and thus increase safety, especially in individual sport training