Comparison of Growth in Children with Cyanotic and Acyanotic Congenital Heart Disease in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the commonest of all congenital lesions and is the most common type of heart diseases among children. Anthropometric evaluation is very important for early recognition of growth failure in children with cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart diseases.Methods: This comparative cross sectional study was undertaken with the objective to compare the growth of children with cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart disease using anthropometric measurement in Department of Paediatrics, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital from March, 2014 to September, 2014. Sixty children aged 6 months to 60 months with CHD, were included in this study, where 30 children with cyanotic and 30 children with acyanotic CHD, confirmed by Echocardiogram.Results: All the children (100%) with cyanotic congenital heart disease were underweight (Weight for age Z score). Among them, 23.33% had moderate and 76.67% had severe underweight. In children with acyanotic congenital heart disease, 93.33% had underweight. Among them, 20% had moderate and 73.33% had severe underweight. The p-value was 0.35008. In cyanotic congenital heart disease, 96.67% children had stunting. Among them, 13.33% had moderate and 83.33% had severe stunting. In acyanotic congenital heart disease, 43.33% children had stunting. Among them, 33.33% had moderate and 10% had severe stunting. There was significant statistical deference in between the two groups, (pvalue was <0.0001). In cyanotic congenital heart disease, 43.33% children had wasting. Among them, 30% had moderate and 13.33% had severe wasting. In acyanotic congenital heart disease, 76.67% children had wasting. Among them, 30% had moderate and 46.67% had severe wasting. There was significant deference in the groups (p value was 0.0077).Conclusion: Growth failure was common in children with both cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart disease. There was no significant difference in weight for age Z score (WAZ) of patients with cyanotic and acyanotic CHD but stunting was significantly higher in patients with cyanotic CHD and wasting was significantly higher in patients with acyanotic CHD.J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2018; 36(2): 64-69