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Secundum-type atrial septal defects with failure to thrive in the first year of life
R D Mainwaring1, H Mirali-Akbar, J J Lamberti
1Cardiac Institute, Children's Hospital & Health Center, San Diego, California, USA.
Insights
This study examined infants with atrial septal defects (ASDs) and failure to thrive. Surgical closure of ASDs did not improve symptoms in most cases, suggesting noncardiac causes for failure to thrive.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Secundum-type atrial septal defects (ASDs) are congenital heart conditions.
- Failure to thrive (FTT) in infancy requires thorough etiological investigation.
Observation:
- Six infants with isolated secundum-type ASDs presented with FTT in their first year.
- Surgical closure of the ASD was performed with the expectation of improved feeding and growth.
Findings:
- Five of six infants showed minimal to no symptom improvement post-surgery.
- These five infants subsequently exhibited developmental delay.
Implications:
- FTT associated with secundum ASD may often stem from noncardiac etiologies.
- This highlights the importance of considering broader diagnostic avenues beyond cardiac assessment in infants with ASD and FTT.
Abstract:
This article summarizes the case histories of six infants who had isolated secundum-type atrial septal defects (ASDs) and presented with failure to thrive in the first year of life. Patients underwent operative closure of their ASD with the expectation that this would improve their feeding and growth pattern. Five of the six children demonstrated little or no improvement in symptoms following operation. Each of these five patients have subsequently shown signs of developmental delay. Our experience with this group suggests that failure to thrive associated with a secundum ASD will frequently have a noncardiac basis.