ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND: Malnutrition and growth failure is highly prevalent among infants with congenital heart disease. The aim is assessment of nutritional status of children with congenital heart diseases and evaluate impact of nutritional counseling and support for those children.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study included 42 children of CHD with undernutrition 19 had cyanotic CHD, 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 skin fold measurement, head circumference) and Nutritional plan was applied to those patients. Follow up visits was done every 2 weeks and patients were reassessed after 2 months.
RESULTS: (54.8%) of our cases were of moderate degree of malnutrition while (45.2%) of cases were of severe degree. There was significant improvement in all anthropometric measurements post to nutritional support and there was significant increase in weight all over the study follow up intervals. There was no improvement in length.
CONCLUSION: Malnutrition is common in pediatric patients with CHD. It lead to serious complication. Proper nutritional assessment and intervention help improving general condition of them.