The epidemiology of childhood cardiomyopathy in Australia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The incidence and age distribution of primary cardiomyopathy in children are not well defined. We undertook a population-based, retrospective cohort study in Australia to document the epidemiology of childhood cardiomyopathy. METHODS: We analyzed all cases of primary cardiomyopathy in children who presented between 1987 and 1996 and who were younger than 10 years ofage. Children were recruited from multiple sources, and cases of cardiomyopathy were classified according to World Health Organization guidelines. RESULTS: Over the 10-year period, 314 new cases of primary cardiomyopathy were identified, for an annual incidence of 1.24 per 100,000 children younger than 10 years ofage (..