Background: Congenital heart defect is the second cause of death in infancy and childhood
and is the leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. congenital heart surgery corrects
heart defect that a child is born with it, enhance mothers knowledge and practices toward their
children undergoing congenital heart surgery help child to recover early and prevent complication.
Aim: this study aimed to assess mothers' knowledge and reported practices toward their children
undergoing congenital heart surgery Setting: this study was conducted at outpatient clinic of Cardio
Vascular and Thoracic Academy Ain Shams University Hospitals Sample: 70 mothers and their
children undergoing congenital heart surgery were included in this study. Tools of data collection:
two different tools were used. First tool: consist of interviewing questionnaire to assess socio
demographic characteristic of mothers and their children, knowledge, reported practices of mothers
for their children undergoing congenital heart surgery, Second tool: Assessment of child health
status. Result: revealed that 81.4% of the studied mothers achieved poor knowledge scores. Only
18.6% of them achieved average score and 91.4% of the study sample total mothers' practice was
unsatisfactory. Conclusion: there was no a statistical significant relation between the mother's
knowledge and reported practices (P >0.05). Recommendation: Comprehensive, multidisciplinary
discharge planning should design early and should include the mothers and children contain
education regarding congenital heart surgery care, providing mothers with discharge care of their
children after congenital heart surgery should become a routine practice to congenital heart surgery
department to enhance fast recovery and prevent complications.