Disorders of energy metabolism, protein and macronutrient metabolism in children with congenital heart defects

Nutritional deficiency is identified in various types of congenital heart defects, both “blue” and “pale” types. I. Arodiwe et al. [1] in a study of 40,123 children identified 50 with congenital heart defects; 46 (92%) of them had nutritional status changes of varying severity. According to WHO definition, nutritional deficiency (“nutritional insufficiency”) is a cellular imbalance between the nutrients and energy provided by food and the body’s need for them to ensure vital functions, growth, and specific functions [11, 4].