title: Wasting, underweight and stunting among children with congenital heart disease presenting at Mulago hospital, Uganda.
abstract: Children with congenital heart disease are at increased risk of malnutrition. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of wasting, underweight and stunting among children with congenital heart disease attending Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study among 194 children aged 0-15 years was conducted between August 2013 and March 2014. Anthropometric measurements and clinical assessments were carried out on all children. Anthropometric z-scores based on WHO 2007 reference ranges were generated for each child. Weight-for-height z-scores were generated for children 0-5 years, weight-for-age z-scores for children 0-10 years, and height-for-age and BMI-for-age z-scores for all children. Risk factors associated with malnutrition were determined by Poisson regression.
  
  
  
  One hundred and forty five (74.7%) children were aged 0-5 years; and 111 of 194 (57.2%) were female. Forty five of 145 (31.5%) children aged 0-5 years were wasted; 77 of 181 (42.5%) children aged 0-10 years were underweight; 88 of 194 (45.4%) children were stunted; and 53 of 194 (27.3%) children were thin (BMI for age z score < -2). Moderate to severe anaemia (RR 1.11, 95% CI: 1.01-1.22) and moderate to severe heart failure (RR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.13-1.36) were associated with wasting and underweight respectively. Stunting was associated with moderate to severe heart failure (RR 1.11, 95% CI: 1.01-1.21) while thinness was associated with moderate to severe heart failure (RR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.04-1.21) and moderate to severe anaemia (RR 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06-1.25).
  
  
  
  Malnutrition is common in children with congenital heart disease, and is associated with anaemia and heart failure. There is need to integrate strategies to identify and manage malnutrition during the care of children with congenital heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Child Health and Development Centre, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O.Box 6717, Kampala, Uganda. abatte2002@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Batte
authors.affiliation: Uganda Heart Institute, P.O. Box 7051, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lwabi
authors.affiliation: Uganda Heart Institute, P.O. Box 7051, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Sulaiman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lubega
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kiguli
authors.affiliation: Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Kennedy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Otwombe
authors.affiliation: The Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chimoyi
authors.affiliation: Nakaseke Hospital, Nakeseke, Uganda.
authors.forename: Violette
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nabatte
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.|Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karamagi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D014454:Uganda; D019282:Wasting Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Africa; Congenital heart disease; Malnutrition; Uganda