ABSTRACT
Different congenital heart diseases could affect children growth. To assess the growth [Weight, height and head circumference] in patients with different types of congenital heart disease [CHD]. The growth of one hundred ninety six patients with CHD, attending the out patient department of the Central Teaching Hospital of Pediatrics and Ibn Al Betaar Center for Cardiac Surgery, aged 0-24 months, between February and June 2002 was assessed. They were grouped according to cardiac diagnosis: Group I: Acyanotic CHD without heart failure [HF] or pulmonary hypertension[PH]; Group II: Acyanotic CHD with HF; Group III: Acyanotic CHD with PH; Group IV: cyanotic CHD. It was found that 29.6% of patients with CHD had acute malnutrition [AM] and 21.9% had chronic malnutrition [CM]. The acute malnutrition was more in group I of CHD [39.2%] while chronic malnutrition was more in group III of CHD [26.3%]. The acute malnutrition was more obvious in infants [31.7%] than in those in the second year, while chronic malnutrition was more obvious in second year of life [34.7%]. In all patients with congenital heart disease [cyanotic and a cyanotic], the growth is affected. Because of the delay in surgical correction in our patients, so we suggest a better nutritional counseling and possible earlier surgical correction to optimize the growth in our patients