Children With Heart Defects May Experience Abnormal Growth
RegulationMain Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology Also
Included In: Ear, Nose and Throat Article Date: 22 Feb 2013 The
poor growth seen in children born with complex heart defects may
result from factors beyond deficient nutrition. A new study by
pediatric researchers suggests that abnormalities in overall
growth regulation play a role. "When compared with their healthy
peers, children with congenital heart disease have impaired
growth, as measured in weight, length, and head circumference,"
said senior author Meryl S. Cohen, M.D., a pediatric
cardiologist in the Cardiac Center at The Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia. "We investigated patterns of poor growth in these
children, as a starting point in guiding us toward more
effective treatments." The study appeared as an online article
in a recent issue of Pediatrics. The researchers performed a
retrospective analysis of medical records of 856 children with
congenital heart disease (CHD), compared