Energy expenditure after surgical repair in children with cyanotic congenital heart disease

Objective: Infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) have previ ously been shown to have similar resting energy expenditures (REEs) and ele vated total energy expenditures (TEEs) compared with age-matched healthy in fants. The purpose of this investigation was to re-examine the REE and TEE of the same individuals at 5 years of age, after surgical repair of the hea rt defect was done, to determine whether metabolic differences persist. Study design: Seven children were studied approximately 2.6 years after the y underwent surgical repair of CCHD along with 10 age-matched healthy child ren. Indirect calorimetry was used to determine REE, and the doubly labeled water method was used to determine TEE and body composition. Results: Results were compared with single-factor repeated measures analysi s of variance. No significant differences were found between groups in weig ht or body composition. No significant differences were found between group s in REE, TEE, or the energy expended in physical activity. Conclusion: We conclude that differences in TEE observed during infancy are no longer present in 5-year-old children after they undergo surgical repai r of CCHD. Furthermore, the individual components of energy expenditure of children with CCHD after repair are indistinguishable from those of healthy age-matched children.