Abstract
Background: The rising burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors of obesity and elevated blood pressure (EBP) from early childhood can aggravate consequences congenital heart defects (CHDs).
The aim was to study status and associations of early feeding, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) elevations, obesity with CHD.
Methods: A sample of 150 children randomized into 50 breastfed, 50 non-breastfed and 50 mixed fed children aged 3-5 years examined for early feeding practices, BP and nutritional assessment through anthropometric measurements for estimating Body mass index (BMI) and hemoglobin. Doppler studies were carried out to detect congenital heart disease. Findings DBP, but not SBP, was higher in non-breastfed vs. fully Breastfed. Obesity was positively associated with elevated SBP and DBP in either sex. Early breastfeeding was protective, while not breastfeeding, bottle feeding with additives, pacifiers, unhealthy food intake (UFI) were associated with EBP. Doppler studies detected 16 cases (10.67%) with CHDs, mostly mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in 7(43.7%) followed by tricuspid regurge (TR) in 3 (18.75%), atrial-septal defect (ASD) in 1(6.25%) and ventricular-septal defects (VSD) in 1(6.25%). Although there were no direct associations between CHDs with early feeding, BMI or EBP, however risk factors for EBP by high intake of unhealthy foods was common.
Conclusions: Obesity and EBP start from early childhood; this could affect future cardiac dynamics. Breastfeeding may be physiologically and developmentally beneficial for these children by protection against CVD risk factors as obesity and EBP. Close watch of patients with CHD from an early age is recommended to detect cardiac hemodynamic changes especially among children who are obese, hypertensive. Promoting breastfeeding and healthy food intake is important to prevent the build of EBP from UFI into CVD.