Observations on the physique and growth of children with congenital heart disease

• Published in: The Journal of pediatrics Vol. 44; no. 6; pp. 674 - 680
• Main Authors: Adams, Forrest H., Lund, George W., Disenhouse, Robert B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Mosby, Inc 01.06.1954
• Subjects: Body Constitution; Cardiovascular Abnormalities; Cardiovascular System; Heart Defects, Congenital; Old Medline; CARDIOVASCULAR DEFECTS, CONGENITAL; BODY CONSTITUTION
• ISSN: 0022-3476; 1097-6833
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3476(54)80009-6

Summary 1. Data regarding the growth of 229children with certain congenital heart lesions have been reviewed, using the Wetzel Grid technique. The lesions studied were patent ductus arteriosus, tetralogy of Fallot, interatrial septal defect, interventricular septal defect, coarctation of the aorta, and pulmonary stenosis without cyanosis. 2. In general it can be concludedthat patients with congenital heart disease do not necessarily have abnormal growth either in terms of physique or rate of growth. 3. If a large left-to-right shunt is present the resultant pulmonary congestion may predispose the patient to respiratory disease which in turn can produce growth retardation. If such infection is minimized, maximum growth may occur in spite of the large left-to-right shunt. 4. Patients possessing congenitalheart lesions with anoxemia such as tetralogy of Fallot do not necessarily have growth retardation, and surgery performed to decrease the anoxemia is not necessarily followed by improved growth. 5. In some patients with congenitalheart disease, growth retardation is marked, but clinical and physiological studies show little deviation from the normal state. In such instances, the growth retardation is thought to be primarily due to genetic or in utero factors, or, if secondary, secondary to something other than the heart lesion itself. Emotional disturbances can be an important secondary cause of poor growth in this regard.