Leigh Ann DiFusco, a Penn Injury Science Center postdoc in the School of Nursing, wrote a blog post for CHOP’s Center for Injury Research & Prevention about her portfolio of research – factors that make driving more difficult or risky for teens and young adults with congenital heart disease (CHD).
“Like their peers without CHD, driving may be critical for educational, employment and social purposes during adolescence and adulthood; however, the effects of CHD on daily living may impact driving abilities in different ways. Some adolescents with CHD may need more time to process or prioritize information, react less quickly to sudden changes on the road, or have problems moving their body in order to correctly operate a motor vehicle. Others may be more impulsive or have conditions such as ADHD, and their attention span might be different.”