Nutrition for children with congenital heart disease

The article was consulted with Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi An - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.

Congenital heart is a structural abnormality of the heart in young children from birth, making them vulnerable to malnutrition, exhaustion, difficulty gaining weight, greatly affecting the child's heart surgery later. Therefore, parents need to know the appropriate methods of caring for children with congenital heart disease to help them achieve the best health before treating the main disease.

Although basically, the nutritional composition of each feeding or eating of a child with congenital heart disease may not be different from that of other children, but the absorption capacity is still poor for the following reasons:
Children with congenital heart disease Congenital heart often has difficulty breathing, so it is very difficult to suckle and drink milk, making it difficult for children to suckle and gain weight. Children with congenital heart disease are assigned to eat bland, not seasoned with salt and fish sauce, making the children unappetizing and anorexia, so they are easily malnourished. Children's energy needs are higher than normal. Heart effects such as heart palpitations, rapid breathing, decreased blood oxygen, decreased absorption of food, decreased absorption of nutrients from the digestive tract. Children often have respiratory infections (bronchitis, pneumonia). Development is influenced by genetic or genetic factors such as Down syndrome (trisomy 21).

Breastfeeding or supplementing with formula are both good for children with congenital heart disease, but need to be flexible in the method and timing of feeding, in some special cases it is also necessary to put a gastric tube from the nose to feed. cross this road. Children with congenital heart disease often need to increase their meals, giving them small meals about every 2 hours will be better for them than giving them a long, long meal that makes them tired.
Children with congenital heart disease are still best breastfed. After birth, the baby may need to be treated in a special area, so mothers need to express milk within the first 12-24 hours after birth to maintain her milk supply. Maintaining the mother's milk secretion is very important, in the first week can express every 2-3 hours until the milk production is stable, then reduce to 4-5 times per day.
When children are older, their nutritional requirements for energy are 120-170 kcal/kg/day higher than normal children. Therefore, parents need to use milk with energy-rich foods with added sugar, protein and protein, iron supplement when anemia and vitamins when indicated.

For babies under 6 months:
It is best to exclusively breastfeed babies, whenever they want, day and night, at least 8 times a day. Babies from 4-6 months old can be given more food, but only if they are still hungry after each feeding or do not gain weight as usual. It is possible for children to learn to eat solid foods from 1-2 meals of powder from dilute to gradually thickened with full substances like powder of 6-12 month old children. When breastfeeding, attention should be paid to raising the baby's head to avoid vomiting and choking on milk. Do not breastfeed or eat too much because children with congenital heart disease often have difficulty digesting, so they are prone to vomiting.

For babies aged 6-12 months:
Babies still need to be breastfed day and night whenever they want. Baby foods need to be rich in nutrients and complete with ingredients. Give your baby solid foods 3 times a day while breastfeeding and 5 times a day if they have stopped feeding, about 1 bowl of these foods at each meal. Supplement for children with locally available fruits such as bananas, papayas, oranges, mangoes,... For children from 12 months to 2 years old:
Still breast-feeding children whenever they want . Children are given solid foods 3-5 times a day, each meal is about 1 and a half bowls of foods with full nutritional ingredients. Let children eat more fruits and vegetables. Do not give your baby a bottle, but give him a spoon or cup. For children from 2 years of age and older:
Feed children 3 meals with the family with foods full of ingredients and nutrients, in between can be snacks with milk, cakes, pho, noodles, porridge,... Adding more fruits and vegetables to children's meals.

In addition to proper nutrition, regular health check-ups are also very important, especially for children with congenital heart disease. Regardless of surgical intervention or not, children also need to be periodically examined, vaccinated on time. The initial examination period can be weekly or monthly, then maintain every 3-6 months depending on the severity of the disease and the doctor's recommendations.
Prevention of infective endocarditis for children with congenital heart disease who are at high risk of the disease by:
Keeping the child's body clean. Use prophylactic antibiotics as prescribed by the doctor when the child is injured or needs to have bleeding procedures such as tonsillectomy, lymphadenectomy, gastrointestinal surgery, genitourinary surgery, dental examination. Most children with congenital heart defects are able to function and play normally, with the exception of some strenuous activities, such as contact sports. Parents should create conditions for children to participate in some healthy activities, gentle sports to improve their physical and mental health.
The learning problem of children with congenital heart disease is almost the same as that of normal children, except for some children with multiple malformations who have both congenital heart and mental retardation who need an educational program. special education.