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Objective A retrospective review of the use of delayed sterna closure (DSC) after pediatric cardiac operations.The purpose of this study is to access the morbidity of DSC and to analyze the risk factors that may predict the need for DSC.Methods Between January 2008 and December 2011,5 546 infants (2 843 males,2 703 females) underwent cardiac operations through midterm sternotomy in Shanghai Children' s Medical Center.Median age was 5 months(1 day to 11 months) and mean weight was 6.1 kg(2.0-12.5 kg).The pathologies included transposition of great artery(TGA),corctation of aorta (CoA),interruption of aortic arch (IAA),pulmonary atresia (PA),truncus arteriosus (Truncus),complete atrioventricular septal defect(CAVSD),total anormalous pulmonary vein connection (TAPVC),double outlet of right ventricle(DORV),tetralogy of Fallot(TOF),and ventricular septal defect(VSD),et al.All hospital records were reviewed and clinical data were studied and analyzed.Results A total of 313 patients had DSC (5.6％).There were 191 males and 122 females.The reasons for DSC are hemodynamic instability in 296,bleeding in 11,and ECMO(or VAD) in 6 patients.Two hundred and fiftyone (80.2％) patients were less than 5 kg,84 (26.8 ％) patients were neonates,and 125 (39.9％) patients aged between one and three months old.The incidences of DSC for these patients were 13.9％,34.4％,and 18.4％ respectively.The diagnosis of complex congenital heart defects had a high risk of DSC.The incidences of DSC for TGA,CoA,IAA,PA,Truncus,CAVSD,TAPVC,and DORV were 28.8％,17.8％,43.1％,9.0％,30.4％,6.5％,and 10.8％ respectively.The DSC patients had longer duration of CPB time(147 min versus 72 min) and clamping time(81 min versus 40 min).In 282 patients the sternums were closed 1-11 days after the initial operation.In 3 cases the trial of closure failed for the first time and succeeded a second time until several days later.Fouty-six patients died ultimately including 15 patients died after the closure of sternum with a total mortality of 14.7 ％.Surgical site infection occurred in 17 patients (5.4％),and surgical intervention were needed in 4 severe cases(1.3％).Conclusion Neonates,an age less than 3 months,weight less than 5 kg,long CPB time and clamping time,and the diagnosis of complex congenital heart defects were risk factors of the need for delayed sterna closure after pediatric cardiac operations.