The Impact of Enteral Feeding Type on Early Postoperative Outcomes after Congenital Heart Surgery in Neonates and Young Infants | ||||
| Benha Medical Journal | ||||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 25 July 2025 PDF (375.68 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/bmfj.2025.398077.2501 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
Somaia A. Elwan1; Rania I. Abd Elaty2; Dina A. Saad3; Asmaa S Abd Elkader  4; Eman G. Abd Elrahman2
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| 1Department of pediatrics, Faculty of medicine -Banha University. | ||||
| 2Department of pediatrics, Faculty of medicine –Banha University. | ||||
| 3Department of cardiothoracic surgery, Faculty of medicine –Banha University. | ||||
| 4M.B.B.ch of pediatrics, Faculty of medicine, Alexandria University. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background & Aim: Congenital heart disease (CHD), affects approximately one percent of live births worldwide. Nutritional rehabilitation is one of the cornerstones of critical care management in babies undergoing congenital heart surgery (CHS). This study aimed to compare early postoperative outcomes associated with breast milk feeding and formula feeding in neonates and young babies admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) following congenital heart surgery. Methods: This comparative observational study included 100 infants who had congenital heart surgery at Bahtim Hospital for Specialized Surgeries between April 2024 and April 2025. All cases have been separated into two groups: a breastfed group and a formula-fed group. Relevant clinical, operative, and postoperative data have been compared and collected among the 2 groups. Results: The formula-fed group had a statistically longer duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, delayed initiation of enteral feeding, extended time to achieve full enteral feeding, and a longer overall hospital stay compared to the breastfed group. Additionally, the formula-fed group showed higher rates of infection, anemia, and mortality. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, infection, cyanosis, formula feeding, and low weight were identified as significant predictors of mortality in the studied group. Conclusion: Breast milk feeding in babies following heart surgery improves feeding tolerance, reduces the incidence of anemia and infection, and shortens hospital stay. These benefits support its routine use in postoperative care. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Enteral Feeding; Postoperative; Congenital Heart Surgery; CHD; breast feeding | ||||
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