Author(s): Manonmani M and Dr. Priya Pillai

Abstract:
Background: Malnutrition in children has been shown to negatively impact growth and neurocognitive development. This is particularly evident in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Malnutrition is common in children with CHD due to increased energy requirements in addition to poor feeding and inadequate caloric intake. Insufficient protein and energy intake results in loss of both skeletal and myocardial muscle, contributing to cardiac decompensation, and failure. With progression of CHD, poor growth is exacerbated due to decreased peripheral perfusion with tissue hypoxia and acidosis, and sequelae such as recurrent pulmonary infections, and pulmonary hypertension. Corrective cardiac surgery in patients with CHD has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on weight gain. So early intervention with corrective surgery can help in these patients. Yet, a suboptimal nutritional state in itself may undermine the outcomes of corrective surgery, leading to increased peri-operative morbidities, and mortality. As nutritional status is a potentially modifiable risk factor, optimizing a child’s pre-operative nutritional status could potentially lead to improved short- and long-term outcomes