A preoperative standardized feeding protocol improves human milk use in infants with complex congenital heart disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the hypothesis that implementation of a preoperative standardized feeding protocol increases human milk use in infants with complex congenital heart disease (CHD). STUDY DESIGN: Single-center, quasi-experimental study of infants with complex CHD. A cohort of 546 infants pre protocol was compared to 55 patients post protocol. Feeding regimen and peri-operative outcomes information were collected. RESULT: Human milk use increased significantly (58.4% versus 100%, p < 0.01) and there was no formula use post protocol (18.7% versus 0%, p < 0.01). Preoperative necrotizing enterocolitis occurred in 18/546 (3.3%) infants pre protocol versus 1/55 (1.8%) post protocol, p = 1.00. Days to full feeds and length of hospital stay in both cohorts were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: Successful implementation of a preoperative standardized feeding protocol can increase human milk and decrease formula use in infants with complex CHD without significant adverse outcomes. A larger study is needed to evaluate the association of human milk use with peri-operative outcomes.

The Relationship Between Preoperative Feeding Exposures and Postoperative Outcomes in Infants With Congenital Heart Disease.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association of preoperative risk factors and postoperative outcomes in infants with complex congenital heart disease. DESIGN: Single-center retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Neonatal ICU and cardiovascular ICU. PATIENTS: Infants of all gestational ages, born at Texas Children's Hospital between 2010 and 2016, with complex congenital heart disease requiring intervention prior to discharge. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 399 patients were enrolled in the study. Preoperative risk factors included feeding, type of feeding, feeding route, and cardiac lesion. Postoperative outcomes included necrotizing enterocolitis, hospital length of stay, and days to full feeds. The occurrence rate of postoperative necrotizing enterocolitis (all stages) was 8%. Preoperative feeding, type of feeding, feeding route, and cardiac lesion were not associated with higher odds of postoperative necrotizing enterocolitis. Cardiac lesions with ductal-dependent systemic blood flow were associated with a hospital length of stay of 19.6 days longer than those with ductal-dependent pulmonary blood flow (p < 0.001) and 2.9 days longer to reach full feeds than those with ductal-dependent pulmonary blood flow (p < 0.001), after controlling for prematurity. Nasogastric feeding route preoperatively was associated with a length of stay of 29.8 days longer than those fed by mouth (p < 0.001) and 2.4 days longer to achieve full feeds (p < 0.001), after controlling for prematurity and cardiac lesion. Preoperative diet itself was not associated with significant change in length of stay or days to reach full feeds. CONCLUSIONS: Although cardiac lesions with ductal-dependent systemic blood flow are considered high risk and may increase length of stay and days to achieve full feeds, they are not associated with a higher risk of postoperative necrotizing enterocolitis. Nasogastric route is not associated with a significantly higher risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, but longer length of stay and days to reach full feeds. These findings challenge our perioperative management strategies in caring for these infants, as they may incur more hospital costs and resources without significant medical benefit.

Human Milk Use in the Preoperative Period Is Associated with a Lower Risk for Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Neonates with Complex Congenital Heart Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the hypothesis that feeding volumes exceeding 100 mL/kg/d and exposure to cow's milk formula preoperatively increase the risk for preoperative necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in infants with complex congenital heart disease. STUDY DESIGN: All infants, of any gestational age, with an isolated cardiac lesion at high risk for NEC (ductal-dependent lesions, transposition of the great arteries, truncus arteriosus, and aorto-pulmonary window) admitted to Texas Children's Hospital from 2010 to 2016 were included. NEC was defined based on the modified Bell criteria. Feeding regimen information and relevant covariates were collected. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of feeding regimen and other potential risk factors with NEC. RESULTS: In this single-center, retrospective cohort of 546 infants, 3.3% developed Bell stage I-III NEC preoperatively. An exclusive unfortified human milk diet was associated with a significantly lower risk of preoperative NEC (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.04-0.84, P = .03) in a multivariable regression model controlling for cardiac lesion, race, feeding volume, birth weight small for gestational age, inotrope use presurgery/pre-NEC, and prematurity. Feeding volumes exceeding 100 mL/kg/d were associated with a significantly greater risk of preoperative NEC (OR 3.05, 95% CI 1.19-7.90, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that an unfortified exclusive human milk diet may reduce the risk of preoperative NEC in infants with complex congenital heart disease.