Follow-up of the Nutritional Status in the Patients with Postoperative Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Introduction: Failure to thrive (FTT) is a common underlying condition in the patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). The present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status and growth pattern in the patients with CDH. Methods: This study was conducted on 146 CDH patients who underwent surgery in Dr. Sheikh Hospital in Mashhad, Iran during April 2006-November 2013. Due to inaccessibility and the lack of cooperation on behalf of some parents, only 61 patients completed the study. Data on the demographic and anthropometric characteristics and postoperative complications were collected. Results: 61 patients with CDH were enrolled in the study, and 32.7% died within six months after the surgery. Mean age of the subjects was 24.21±30.26 months. According to the Z-score weight-for-height classification following surgery, 7.3% of the patients had severe malnutrition, 4.8% had moderate malnutrition, and 24.3% had mild malnutrition, while 51.2% of the subjects were normal. In addition, the majority of the subjects were within the normal range. Conclusion: According to the results, the majority of the studied children with CDH had normal growth postoperatively, and few cases experienced reduced growth rate within the early years of life. These findings highlight the need for supplementary calories in order to prevent FTT and other complications in the patients with CDH.