Wachstumsretardierung von zyanotischen Kindern nach aorto-pulmonaler Shuntanlage

Background: The influence of cyanosis, and cardiac index in children with cyanotic heart disease on their growth velocity. Patients: 37 infants with cyanotic heart disease needing a systemico-pulmonary anastomosis. Methods: Body weight, length, head circumference, body mass-index and transcutaneous oxygen-saturation were measured (mean follow-up 610 days). In 25 children cardiac index was recorded by cardiac catheter before their next operation. Results: At 9 months the percentiles had fallen from the 50th at birth to the 3rd for body weight, 10th for length, 25th for head circumference and 25th for the body mass-index. Growth-velocity normalized in the second year.Growth patterns were independent of the oxygen-saturation. Cardiac index was initially reduced but normalized during the 2nd year of life. Conclusion: Growth of infants with a systemico-pulmonary shunt was asymmetric. Growth velocity was reduced in the first year of life, and not influenced by the oxygen-saturation. A causal relationship between cardiac index and decreased growth seems possible.