Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are the most common morbidity in congenital heart disease (CHD) patients across the lifespan. We aim to describe current clinical practice in neuromonitoring and neurodevelopmental follow-up strategies in France.

An audit using an online nationwide survey was distributed through appropriate healthcare networks and scientific societies.

Replies from 100 professionals (25 centers) including 52 physicians working in one of the 10 French surgical CHD centers, were analyzed. Preoperative neuromonitoring is little performed (fetal brain imaging: 2/10 centers, baseline cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy [NIRS]: 2/10 centers, preoperative neurological examination: 4/10 centers). All centers use cerebral NIRS for intraoperative neuromonitoring and early postoperative neuromonitoring. Eighty percent of centers give access to a perinatal healthcare network for longitudinal follow-up up to the age of 7 years, whilst only 1/10 centers keep offering a specialized and multidisciplinary care pathway involving serial neurodevelopmental assessment after the age of 7.

Although all surgical CHD centers perform perioperative and early postoperative neuromonitoring, there is a huge heterogeneity in preoperative neuromonitoring and in the long-term follow-up modalities. This should encourage surgical CHD centers to standardize their practice for both clinical and research purposes.