Standardized Feeding Approach Mitigates Weight Loss in Infants with Congenital Heart Disease, Study says

The study is published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Amy Jo Lisanti and colleagues conducted the present study to evaluate the effect of a standardized feeding approach using a clinical nutrition pathway on weight-for-age Z score (WAZ) over hospital length of stay (HLOS) for infants with congenital heart disease (CHD).

The authors conducted a 10-year retrospective cohort study in which they examined eligible infants who underwent neonatal cardiac surgery. A total of 987 infants were evaluated. Eligibility criteria included infants born at least 37 weeks of gestation and a minimum birth weight of 2 kg who underwent cardiac surgery for CHD within the first 30 days of life.

Using the best linear unbiased predictions from a linear mixed effects model, WAZ change over HLOS was estimated, when the standardized feeding approach was initiated. The best linear unbiased predictions model included adjustment for patient characteristics including sex, race, HLOS, and class of cardiac defect.

The following findings were highlighted-

1. The change in WAZ over HLOS was significantly higher (β = 0.16; SE = 0.02; P < .001), after controlling for sex, race, HLOS, and CHD category, indicating that infants experienced a decreased WAZ loss over HLOS after the standardized feeding approach was initiated.
2. Additionally, differences were found in WAZ loss over HLOS between infants with single ventricle CHD (β = 0.26; SE = 0.04; P < .001) and 2 ventricle CHD (β = 0.04; SE = 0.02; P = .04).

Hence, it was concluded that "an organized, focused approach for nutrition therapy using a standardized pathway improves weight change outcomes before hospital discharge for infants with single and 2 ventricle CHD who require neonatal cardiac surgery."