Cardiac Rehabilitation in Children and Adolescents with CHD

All children have a natural need to move, play, and perform activities. Physical activity is necessary for the optimal physical, emotional, and psychosocial development of healthy children, as well as children with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, parents, patients, caregivers, educators, physicians have questions regarding the appropriate level of physical activity for children and adolescents with CHD. The old recommendations and guidelines for sport participation in patients with CHD have focused mainly on the eligibility criteria for competitive sports while recent recommendations for these children extend to leisure sports and exercise training programs that focus on physical activity promotion with regular settings.