title: [Changes in serum levels of total amino acids in young children with congenital heart diseases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the implication of early surgical operation on the improvement of protein malnutrition in young children with congenital heart diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen kinds of serum free amino acids were determined with an automatic analyzer for 72 cases with congenital heart diseases before and after surgical operation and 51 healthy children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum total amount of essential amino acids reduced in children with congenital heart diseases, mainly of branch-chained amino acids, especially significant in young ones. Serum amino acids restored to normal level one month after surgical operation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There existed protein malnutrition in children with congenital heart diseases, especially in young ones. Surgical operation for them in a suitable time will improve their protein nutritional status.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Zhejiang Medical University, Hangzhou.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xue
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000097:blood; D000601:Amino Acids, Essential / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D000601:Amino Acids, Essential