Anthropometric profiles of children with congenital heart disease

Abstract

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is often associated with malnutrition and failure to thrive in children. Children with congenital heart diseases are frequently undernourished irrespective of cardiac defect and presence or absence of cyanosis. The aim of the study is to assess the effect of CHD on growth and nutrition and to identify the areas of growth affected with reference to different anthropometric measurements.

Materials and Method: A case control observational study was carried out in children aged 0-14 years old with CHD in the Department of Paediatrics at Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre Bangalore. All patients underwent an anthropometric evaluation (weight, height/length, head circumference, mid-arm circumference, triceps and subscapular skin fold thickness) and standard growth charts (NCHS and WHO) were used accordingly.

Results: We had total of 50 patients, 34 (68%) had acyanotic congenital malformation, while 16 (32%) had cyanotic cardiac malformation. Majority, 18(82%) out of 22 cases above 5 years with CHD were underweight. Left to right shunt children with acyanotic malformation were tended to have acute malnutrition and stunting was more severe in children with cyanotic defects, with 100% of them affected. Majority of the children (42%) were undernourished with mid arm circumference below 13.5cms.

Conclusion: A significantly higher, that is, 82% were underweight and 86% were stunted among children with congenital heart disease. In conclusion it can be stated that children with congenital heart disease have highly statistically significant growth retardation (P<0.001) by student t- test.