Participating in a choir helped children with congenital heart defects improve some measures of breathing and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. These were the findings of researchers at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. The results of the small study were published in the journal Pediatric Cardiology.

The program involved 14 children aged 8 to 16 who were born with a single heart ventricle. Over eight weeks, they took individual and group singing lessons and performed breathing exercises online.

Children with this defect typically require three operations, the last of which — the Fontan procedure — is performed at around 3–4 years of age. It directs oxygen-poor blood straight into the pulmonary arteries, bypassing the heart. Although the surgery is lifesaving, this circulation pattern can be associated with reduced lung function, fatigue, and an increased risk of heart failure. Some children also experience differences in neurocognitive development.

After the program ended, the researchers recorded improvements in certain measures of breathing. The children also reported greater well-being and fewer symptoms of depression, while parents noted improvements in their children's school life and reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms.

“Many children said the choir helped them feel part of a group and less lonely. I underestimated how strongly they feel different from their peers,” said study leader Kendra Ward, a pediatric cardiology specialist at Northwestern University.

The researchers plan to conduct a larger, multicenter study in 2027. According to Ward, the sessions will also continue outside the research project, as the children and their families wanted to keep the choir going. In the future, the team hopes to expand the program to children with other congenital heart defects.