AUTHOR=Huang Ya-Li , Luo Wen-Yi , Wang Xie-Lei , Zheng Feng , Gao Jian-Hua , Chen Ming-Xia , Pan Yang-Dong 

TITLE=The effect of nutritional risk management program on the growth and development of infants and toddlers with congenital heart disease after discharge

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2024.1416778

DOI=10.3389/fped.2024.1416778

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=Objective: To evaluate the effect of nutritional risk management program on the growth and development of infants and toddlers with congenital heart disease(CHD) after discharge. Methods: Infants and toddlers with CHD discharged from a children's specialized hospital in southeast China were selected as the research subjects. The subjects were divided into the intervention group and the control group. The intervention group underwent a nutritional risk management program combined with traditional follow-up after discharge, whereas the control group received traditional follow-up after discharge. The primary outcome measure were the height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), and weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) at different time point and the percentage of growth and development curves were also recorded and analyzed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in general characteristics between the two groups. However, in the intervention group, the percentages of HAZ<-2, WAZ<-2, and WHZ<-2 were lower than those in the control group at 3rd and 6th months after discharge (P<0.05). The percentage of growth and development curves (3%-97%) was higher than that in the control group (P>0.05). The readmission rate within 6 months after discharge in the intervention group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion:Implementing nutritional risk management program for infants and toddlers with CHD after discharge can help improve postoperative malnutrition, promote growth and development and achieve catch-up growth as soon as possible.