Prevelance and predictors of malnutrition in children with congenital heart defects

Objective: Malnutrition in children with congenital heart disease is associated with increased mortalility and morbidity. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the factors that increase the incidence of malnutrition in patients with congenital heart disease and to emphasize the importance of early intervention. Materials and Methods: Between November 2017 and May 2018, 215 patients with congenital heart disease who admitted to Dicle University Medical Faculty Pediatric Cardiology Hospital and 242 healthy children were included in the general outpatient clinic. Patients with neurological disease, chronic rheumatologic or gastrointestinal system disease, endocrine and metabolic disease, acute diseases causing weight loss, patients with dysmorphic appearance or known genetic anomalies and patients with premature birth or IUGR were excluded from the study. Nutritional status and socioeconomic characteristics of the patients were questioned. The patients were evaluated by echocardiographic, electrocardiographic, anthropometric and laboratory data. Findings/Results: According to Gomez classification, 129 of our 215 patients (60%) had malnutrition and in 123 (57%) according to the waterlow classification. According to Gomez classification, 29 of 38 (76%) patients with cyanosis had malnutrition in 31 (81%) according to waterlow classification. According to the gomez classification, 21 (80%) of 21 patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) had malnutrition in 18 (85%) of them according to waterlow classification (p: 0,00). Conclusion: Malnutrition was significantly higher in children with congenital hearth disease (CHD) who had pulmonary hypertension and cyanosis. There was no relationship between corrective surgery, shunting and malnutrition development. We've linked this matter to the short follow-up period. Key Keyword: Congenital heart disease, malnutrition, children