Other Titles
Adult From Heart to Sole: Screening and Early Detection of Congenital Heart Disease [Title Slide]
Abstract
Introduction: “Adult From Heart to Sole” is a study exploring a non-invasive, low-cost screening method for congenital heart disease (CHD).
Methods: This pilot study explores identification of a specific crease on the sole of the foot as a marker for early detection of CHD in newborns. A Qualitrics survey was developed and distributed on social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) and the Adult Congenital Heart Association “Studies Recruiting Subjects” webpage. Participants were asked about demographic data, whether they have been diagnosed with a CHD and what type, if they have the specific crease on either foot, and if they have other health issues. This study has been approved by The College of New Jersey Institutional Review Board and the Medical Advisory Board Research Committee of the Adult Congenital Heart Association.
Results: Study participants were all over the age of 18 years, with a total of 63 responses, 71.4% female (n = 45), ten people did not disclose their gender(15.9%). The majority of the respondents were Caucasian (n=43 or 68.3%). Nine surveys were not fully completed. Thirty-four people reported a CHD diagnosis. Approximately 35% of respondents reported having a diagnosis of Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) (n=22). A Fisher exact test was conducted using SPSS IBM (version 29). A statistically significant association was found between having any CHD diagnosis and the presence of a crease on any foot (p value = 0.001). All participants who reported presence of a foot crease except for one with a chromosomal syndrome also reported a diagnosis of a CHD. No association was found between a TOF diagnosis and presence of a crease on any foot (p value = 0.709). No association was found between Caucasian race and presence of a crease on any foot (p value= 0.399). No association was found between gender and presence of a crease on any foot (p value = 0.235). Associations between other CHD diagnoses, other racial groups, and presence of a crease could not be analyzed due to small sample size.
Conclusions: A statistically significant association was identified between having a CHD and the presence of a crease on any foot. Further research is needed to identify whether there is an association between presence of the crease and a specific CHD and to evaluate the effectiveness of evaluating for the presence of a crease on either foot as a screening for CHD in newborns.
Notes
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References:
Alanen, J. Leskinen, M., Sairanen, M., Korpinski, T., Kouru, H., Gissler, M., Ryyananen, M., & Nevalainen, J. (2019). Fetal nuchal transucency in severe congenital heart defects: experiences in Northern Finland. Journal of Maternal, Fetal, & Neonatal Medicine, 32(9), 1454-1460. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767058.2017.1408067.
Horn, L.A. & Martin, G.R. (2020). Newborn critical congenital heart disease screening using pulse oximetry: value and unique challenges in developing regions. International Journal of Neonatal Screening, 6(3), 74. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijns6030074.
Oster, M.E., Pinto, N.M., Pramanik, A.K., Markowsky, A., Schwartz B.N.., Kemper, A.R., Hom, L.A., RN, Martin, G.R. ; and the SECTION ON CARDIOLOGY AND CARDIAC SURGERY; SECTION ON HOSPITAL MEDICINE; COMMITTEE ON FETUS AND NEWBORN. (2025). Newborn screening for critical congenital heart disease: A new algorithm and and other updated recommendations: Clinical report. Pediatrics;155(1): e2024069667.
Salari, N., Faryadras, F., Shohaimi, S., Jalil, F., Hasheminizhad, R., Babajani, F., Mohammadi, M., (2024). Global presence of congenital heart diseases in infants: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 30, 570-575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2024.05.003.
Singh, Y. & Chen, S.E. (2022). Impact of pulse oximetry screening to detect congenital heart defects: 5 years’ experience in a UK regional neonatal unit. European Journal of Pediatrics, 181(2), 813-821. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-021-04275-w.
Xu, J., Li, Ql, Deng, L., Xiong, J. Cheng, Z. & Ye, C. (2025), Global, regional, and national epidemiology of congenital heart disease in children from 1990 to 2021. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 12:1522644. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2025.1522644.
Sigma Membership
Delta Nu, Xi
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Acute Care, Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Congenital Heart Disease, Congenital Heart Disease Diagnosis, Early Medical Intervention, Medical Screening
Recommended Citation
Jakubowski, Tami L.; Curtis, Sarah; Kenner, Carole; Boykova, Marina; Mann, Simranjot; Cartnick, Emma; Conners, Mia; and Creedon, Kayla, "Developing Congenital Heart Disease Screening: Adult From Heart to Sole" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 222.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/222
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-26
Developing Congenital Heart Disease Screening: Adult From Heart to Sole
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Introduction: “Adult From Heart to Sole” is a study exploring a non-invasive, low-cost screening method for congenital heart disease (CHD).
Methods: This pilot study explores identification of a specific crease on the sole of the foot as a marker for early detection of CHD in newborns. A Qualitrics survey was developed and distributed on social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) and the Adult Congenital Heart Association “Studies Recruiting Subjects” webpage. Participants were asked about demographic data, whether they have been diagnosed with a CHD and what type, if they have the specific crease on either foot, and if they have other health issues. This study has been approved by The College of New Jersey Institutional Review Board and the Medical Advisory Board Research Committee of the Adult Congenital Heart Association.
Results: Study participants were all over the age of 18 years, with a total of 63 responses, 71.4% female (n = 45), ten people did not disclose their gender(15.9%). The majority of the respondents were Caucasian (n=43 or 68.3%). Nine surveys were not fully completed. Thirty-four people reported a CHD diagnosis. Approximately 35% of respondents reported having a diagnosis of Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) (n=22). A Fisher exact test was conducted using SPSS IBM (version 29). A statistically significant association was found between having any CHD diagnosis and the presence of a crease on any foot (p value = 0.001). All participants who reported presence of a foot crease except for one with a chromosomal syndrome also reported a diagnosis of a CHD. No association was found between a TOF diagnosis and presence of a crease on any foot (p value = 0.709). No association was found between Caucasian race and presence of a crease on any foot (p value= 0.399). No association was found between gender and presence of a crease on any foot (p value = 0.235). Associations between other CHD diagnoses, other racial groups, and presence of a crease could not be analyzed due to small sample size.
Conclusions: A statistically significant association was identified between having a CHD and the presence of a crease on any foot. Further research is needed to identify whether there is an association between presence of the crease and a specific CHD and to evaluate the effectiveness of evaluating for the presence of a crease on either foot as a screening for CHD in newborns.
Description
This pilot study explores identification of a crease on the sole of the foot as a marker for early detection of CHD in newborns. A statistically significant association was identified between having a CHD and the presence of a crease on any foot. Further research is needed to identify whether there is an association between presence of the crease and a specific CHD and to evaluate the effectiveness of evaluating for the presence of a crease on either foot as a screening for CHD in newborns.