Table 3.

Most upsetting/traumatic CHD-related events

Theme	N (%)
Initial diagnosis	21 (35%)
Cardiac arrest/resuscitation	17 (28.3%)
Complication	15 (25%)
Difficult procedures	10 (16.7%)
Mortality fear	9 (15%)
Hospitalisations	9 (15%)
Separation from CHD child	7 (11.7%)
Surgery/catheterisation	7 (11.7%)
Death of CHD child	6 (10%)
Travel for care/child on life flight	5 (8.3%)
Post-operative appearance/treatment	5 (8.3%)
Vicarious trauma - death	4 (6.7%)
Feeding issues	4 (6.7%)
Handing over child for surgery	4 (6.7%)
Medical errors	3 (5%)
Other medical conditions	3 (5%)
Separation from older child(ren)	2 (3.3%)

N = 60. CHD = congenital heart disease. Themes endorsed by more than one parent were included.