Nutritional management of children with congenital heart diseases in Zagazig University Children Hospital

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition and growth failure is highly prevalent among infants with congenital heart disease. The aim was the assessment of the nutritional status of children with congenital heart diseases (CHD) and evaluate the impact of nutritional counseling and support for those children.
Methods: This study included 42 children of CHD with under nutrition, where 19 had cyanotic CHD and 23 had acynotic CHD (of the total 13 had heart failure and 16 had pulmonary hypertension). They were subjected to medical history, clinical examination, cardiological assessment including cardiac symptoms, echocardiographic assessment, nutritional assessment through (nutritional history, calculation of subjective global assay, full anthropometric measures including weight, height, mid-arm circumference, triceps skinfold measurement, head circumference) and nutritional plan was applied to those patients. Follow-up visits were done every 2 weeks and patients were reassessed after 2 months.
Results: (54.8%) of our cases had a moderate degree of malnutrition while (45.2%) of cases had severe degree. There was a significant improvement in all anthropometric measurements post to nutritional support and there was a significant increase in weight all over the study follow-up intervals. There was no improvement in length.
Conclusions: Malnutrition is common in pediatric patients with CHD. It leads to serious complications. Proper nutritional assessment and intervention help improve the general conditions.