Nutritional Disorders and Nutritional Management of Pediatric Cardiac Patients
Keywords:
pediatric cardiac patients; congenital heart disease; malnutrition; nutritional management; growth; enteral nutrition.Abstract
Background: Malnutrition is common in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) due to increased energy needs from a hypermetabolic state and decreased intake from factors like fluid limitations and poor intestinal blood flow. This can lead to stunting, wasting, and underweight. Nutrition for pediatric cardiac patients focuses on providing adequate calories and protein for growth while managing fluid, sodium, and fat intake, often requiring tailored approaches to support healing, manage heart failure, and prevent malnutrition.
Objective: To review nutritional disorders in children with heart diseases and nutritional management of pediatric cardiac patients.
Conclusion: Early nutritional assessment and intervention, including tailored feeding strategies and optimizing preoperative nutrition, are crucial to improve surgical outcomes, growth, and overall health in these vulnerable children. Providing adequate nutrition before surgery significantly improves post-operative outcomes.