Undernutrition in young children with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery in a low-income environment

Malnutrition (undernutrition) in children with congenital disease (CHD) is a notable concern, with preoperative and persistent growth failure post-cardiac surgery contributing to poorer outcomes. Poor growth in children with CHD in low-income environments is exacerbated by feeding difficulties, poverty, delayed diagnosis, and late corrective surgery. This study describes and compares the growth of young children with CHD undergoing cardiac surgery in central South Africa from before to 6-months after cardiac surgery.

Children 30 months and younger, with their mothers, were included in this prospective observational descriptive study. Weight- height-, and head circumference-for-age z-scores were used to identify children who were underweight, stunted and microcephalic. Z-scores for growth indices were compared from baseline to 3-months and 6-months post-cardiac surgery. Changes in growth over time were calculated using a 95% confidence interval on the difference between means. Linear regression was used to determine the association between growth and development, health-related quality of life and parenting stress respectively.

Forty mother-child pairs were included at baseline. Most children (n = 30) had moderate disease severity, with eight children having cyanotic defects. A quarter of the children had Down syndrome (DS). Twenty-eight children underwent corrective cardiac surgery at a median age of 7.4 months. Most children (n = 27) were underweight before cardiac surgery [mean z-score − 2.5 (±1.5)], and many (n = 18) were stunted [mean z-score − 2.2 (±2.5)]. A quarter (n = 10) of the children had feeding difficulties. By 6-months post-cardiac surgery there were significant improvements in weight (p = 0.04) and head circumference (p = 0.02), but complete catch-up growth had not yet occurred. Malnutrition (undernutrition) was strongly associated (p = 0.04) with poorer motor development [Mean Bayley-III motor score 79.5 (±17.5)] before cardiac surgery. Growth in children with cyanotic and acyanotic defects, and those with and without DS were comparable.

Malnutrition (undernutrition) is common in children with CHD in central South Africa, a low-income environment, both before and after cardiac surgery, and is associated with poor motor development before cardiac surgery. A diagnosis of CHD warrants regular growth monitoring and assessment of feeding ability. Early referral for nutritional support and speech therapy will improve growth outcomes.