Alimentos, métodos de alimentação e evolução ponderal em recém-nascidos e lactentes com cardiopatia congênita, internados em um hospital terciário

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The nutritional and developmental alterations in patients with congenital heart disease are being recognized. However, the feeding practices that lead to adequate growth are still undefined in the case of children affected by such impairment. An understanding of the results of nutritional interventions can help to determine strategies so as to promote health as well as to guarantee the human right to a healthy and adequate diet for this specific population. OBJECTIVE: To describe the types of foods, feeding methods and weight evolution on hospitalized newborns and infants with congenital heart disease. METHODS: This is a observational longitudinal descriptive secondary study performed in a tertiary hospital with 65 newborns and infants with congenital heart disease diagnosed by echocardiography. The patients were grouped according to the number of days of hospitalization from 0 to 7; 8 to 14; 15 to 21; 22 to 28; 29 to 35 and more than 35 days. The following variables were analyzed at birth, on the seventh day of life and at hospital discharge: gender, gestational age, APGAR, type of heart disease, intrauterine growth, type of food, route of administration and prescribed intervals, weight gain, weight evolution, according to the score: Z weight and x age of the Intergrowth 21 curve. RESULTS: A total of 64 cases of newborns and infants with acyanotic heart disease and 1 with cyanotic heart disease were described. Several foods were prescribed, with breast milk being the most frequent at hospital discharge. There was no association between prescribed type of food and weight gain, although both the newborn and the infants who were exclusively breastfed presented the worst z scores for weight and age, regardless of the period of hospitalization and hospital discharge. The oral route was the most frequent at hospital discharge and in the groups with the shortest period of hospitalization. The most common dietary administration interval was free to demand at hospital discharge. Several medians of volumes were found, without the observation of relations with some analyzed parameter. The configuration of the most observed weight evolution curve was descendant, regardless of gender. CONCLUSION: Both the foods and the feeding methods prescribed resulted in the predominance of caloric rate and curve of weight evolution, which were smaller than those recommended.