title: Catch-up growth in term and preterm infants after surgical closure of ventricular septal defect in the first year of life.
abstract: Growth impairment in infants with unrestrictive ventricular septal defects (VSD) is common, and normalisation of growth has been reported after surgical correction. Literature is inconsistent about growth velocity after surgery in term and preterm infants. We aimed to establish the pattern of catch-up growth in term and preterm infants submitted to VSD surgical correction before 1 year of age. Fifty-two infants (41 term, 11 preterm) were studied. Anthropometric data at birth, surgery and 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery were collected retrospectively. Statistic analyses were performed in SPSS® version 21. At the time of surgery, growth was severely impaired in term and preterm infants. Term infants underwent a period of fast growth within the first 6 months after surgery, achieving posteriorly a normal growth pattern, as both weight and height were not significantly different from the reference population at 24 months after surgery. Preterms caught-up later than term infants but with a significant weight gain within 3 months after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early surgical repair of VSD leads to a significant acceleration of growth within 3 to 6 months after surgery, for both groups.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  • Growth impairment in infants with unrestrictive ventricular septal defects is well documented in literature. • Surgical correction in the first months of life is the current option for most ventricular septal defects, leading to a more favourable growth pattern. • Rapid growth during infancy may be associated with the development of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, obesity and cardiovascular disease later in life. What is New: • Literature is inconsistent about catch-up growth velocities after ventricular correction for term infants. • Preterm infants have never been enrolled in previous studies that aimed to establish a pattern of growth after surgery. • This group of children, who underwent a rapid post-surgery catch-up growth that follows a period of failure to thrive, may be at a higher risk of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department, Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo de Ponta Delgada, EPE, Avenida D. Manuel I, Ponta Delgada, 9500-370, São Miguel, Azores, Portugal. luzinha-lm@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Luísa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Correia Martins
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department, Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo de Ponta Delgada, EPE, Avenida D. Manuel I, Ponta Delgada, 9500-370, São Miguel, Azores, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lourenço
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, EPE, Avenida Prof. Reinaldo dos Santos, Carnaxide, 2790-134, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, EPE, Avenida Prof. Reinaldo dos Santos, Carnaxide, 2790-134, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, EPE, Avenida Prof. Reinaldo dos Santos, Carnaxide, 2790-134, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, IBILI-Faculty of Medicine of University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba-Celas, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loureiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, IBILI-Faculty of Medicine of University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba-Celas, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patrício
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, EPE, Avenida Prof. Reinaldo dos Santos, Carnaxide, 2790-134, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anjos
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D047929:Term Birth
keywords: Catch-up growth; Preterm infant; Term infant; Ventricular septal defect