Congestive Heart Failure (CHF): treatment is low-sodium diet. this reduces blood pressure and fluid retention. fluid restriction is another important component.
Chylothorax: a rare complication from thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, which results in milky-looking fluid filling the space around the lungs. the treatment for this is a fat-free diet for six weeks once the drain tube has been removed.
Low oxygen saturations (O2 sats): cyanotic CHDs (like HLHS and VSD) involve low oxygen levels in the blood, especially until the surgical course is complete, but occasionally after as well. high haemoglobin will compensate for this to an extent, so an iron-rich diet is important for these kids. foods like red meat, green leafies, and sesame seeds are high in iron.
Failure To Thrive (FTT): this is somewhat common in heart kids, especially with severe and/or complex heart defects. there are numerous causes for this, most often the increased work-load for the heart, which burns a lot of calories. other causes include decreased appetite and complications (including nerve damage) from some surgeries. beyond the obvious inclusion of nutritional supplementation through feeding tubes (asher had an NG tube for 9 months and a GJ-tube with continuous feeds for over 2 years), a diet high in calories and fat can help with weight gain. supplements like Polycose, Pediasure and Pediasure Plus can be used, but should only be included if directed by a physician or dietitian.
