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Why does congenital heart disease cause failure to thrive?
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|December 1, 1985
Summary
Infants with congenital heart disease often have lower energy intake and higher energy needs, leading to failure to thrive. Increasing their energy intake may improve growth and development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Cardiology
- Metabolic Research
Background:
- Congenital heart disease (CHD) in infants can significantly impact growth and development.
- Understanding energy metabolism is crucial for managing infants with CHD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate energy intake and expenditure in infants with CHD compared to healthy controls.
- To identify factors contributing to failure to thrive in infants with CHD.
Main Methods:
- Measured metabolisable energy intake using bomb calorimetry of food, vomit, stool, and urine.
- Assessed resting metabolism via respiratory gas exchange.
- Studied 21 infants with CHD and 9 control infants.
Main Results:
- Infants with CHD showed lower weight for age, growth rates, and daily energy intake per kg.
- Elevated resting oxygen consumption was observed in infants with pulmonary hypertension and cardiac failure.
- Energy intake correlated with weight gain, while resting oxygen consumption inversely correlated with body mass index and fatness.
Conclusions:
- Failure to thrive in infants with CHD may result from low energy intake and/or high energy requirements.
- Augmenting energy intake in infants with CHD could be a strategy to enhance growth.