Effect of congenital heart disease on child growth

Abstract

Background: Children with congenital heart disease are prone to malnutrition and growth retardation. Aim: To compare growth status between children with CHD and healthy children. Materials and Methods: This case–control study included 40 children with congenital heart disease and 40 healthy children matched in age and gender. The age was from 3 months to 36 months. Congenital heart disease patients grouped according to cardiac diagnosis: Ventricular Septal defect, Atrial Septal Defect, Tetralogy of Falot, and Transposition of Greater Arteries. Anthropometric measurements of weight (Kilogram), height (Centimeter), and head circumference (centimeter) were measured and recorded for both case and control groups. Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed using the by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Results: Weight, height and head circumference were significantly lower in congenital heart disease children compared to healthy children (p-value <0.05). Conclusion: Children with congenital heart disease experience early, simultaneous decrease in growth trajectory across weight,