Abstract
We studied patterns of head and somatic growth (height-ht, weight-wt and head circumference-OFC) in 30 infants with CHD. Infants referred in the first 3 mos of life for CHD requiring chronic medical or surgical therapy were enrolled if they had no recognizeable syndrome, intrauterine infection or chromosomal anomaly. Measurements of ht, wt, OFC and were made at 3, 6, 12, 15, and 24 mo of age. 8 initially were cyanotic, 3 have died, and 22 have undergone surgery at a mean age of 15 mos. As a group, the infants developed normally but grew poorly, with wt (20th percentile-%-at 18 months) affected more than OFC and ht (30th % at 18 months) .11 of the 30 showed no growth failure; 2 of those 11 were cyanotic, 1 has died and 6 are post-op. Of the 19 with growth failure, 10 were cyanotic, 2 have died and 16 are post-op. Therapy made no impact on growth patterns of 12 of the 19; but 7 of the growth failure group exhibited catch-up growth (wt> ht>OFC) following surgery at a mean age of 8 months. Mean OFC increased from the 10th to the 25th S> following surgery, even though OFC fell below the 5th % in 4 subjects. Catch-up head growth can accompany catch-up growth in ht and wt following successful surgery in some children with CHD; in others, normal or delayed growth patterns are unaffected by therapy.
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Berman, W., Yabek, S., Fripp, R. et al. HEAD GROWTH IN INFANTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE (CHD). Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 186 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00122
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00122