Structured Tube Weaning Using the Hunger Provocation Method in Infants with Single Ventricle Heart Defects: A Multicenter Study.

Despite improvement in hemodynamics, children with single ventricle heart disease remain on feeding tubes long after stage 2 palliation (S2P). Use of a hunger provocation method in a multidisciplinary team setting has been successful at weaning these children from feeding tubes. The objective of this study is to describe patient characteristics and outcomes in the single ventricle population who underwent a formal tube weaning process using a standardized hunger provocation method.

Developmental care pathway for hospitalised infants with CHD: on behalf of the Cardiac Newborn Neuroprotective Network, a Special Interest Group of the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative.

Infants and children born with CHD are at significant risk for neurodevelopmental delays and abnormalities. Individualised developmental care is widely recognised as best practice to support early neurodevelopment for medically fragile infants born premature or requiring surgical intervention after birth. However, wide variability in clinical practice is consistently demonstrated in units caring for infants with CHD.

Parents' decision-making for their foetus or neonate with a severe congenital heart defect.

Background: Parents who receive a diagnosis of a severe, life-threatening CHD for their foetus or neonate face a complex and stressful decision between termination, palliative care, or surgery. Understanding how parents make this initial treatment decision is critical for developing interventions to improve counselling for these families.

Methods: We conducted focus groups in four academic medical centres across the United States of America with a purposive sample of parents who chose termination, palliative care, or surgery for their foetus or neonate diagnosed with severe CHD.

Integrated Multimodality Telemedicine to Enhance In-Home Care of Infants During the Interstage Period.

Performing interstage home monitoring using digital platforms (teleIHM) is becoming commonplace but, when used alone, may still require frequent travel for in-person care. We evaluated the acceptability, feasibility, and added value of integrating teleIHM with synchronous telemedicine video visits (VVs) and asynchronous video/photo sharing (V/P) during the interstage period. We conducted a descriptive program evaluation of patient-families receiving integrated multimodality telemedicine (teleIHM + VV + V/P) interstage care from 7/15/2018 to 05/15/2020.

Interstage Home Monitoring for Infants With Single Ventricle Heart Disease: Education and Management: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

This scientific statement summarizes the current state of knowledge related to interstage home monitoring for infants with shunt-dependent single ventricle heart disease. Historically, the interstage period has been defined as the time of discharge from the initial palliative procedure to the time of second stage palliation. High mortality rates during the interstage period led to the implementation of in-home surveillance strategies to detect physiologic changes that may precede hemodynamic decompensation in interstage infants with single ventricle heart disease.

Creating Opportunities for Optimal Nutritional Experiences for Infants With Complex Congenital Heart Disease.

Introduction: To our knowledge, successful breastfeeding in the population with single ventricle congenital heart disease has not been reported in the literature, particularly during the interstage period.

Method: A retrospective case study including inpatient nutrition and a complete history of daily logs with the home surveillance monitoring program was performed.

Results: Successful full breastfeeding (exceeding prescribed weight growth goals) after Stage I surgery was achieved during the interstage period.

Nutrition care for newborns with congenital heart disease.

Those health care professionals entrusted with the care of infants with congenital heart disease require an understanding of the unique nutritional needs of this population. This article defines the congenital, physiologic, and nutritional variables encountered in this population. The nutritional needs, multi-factorial sources of undernutrition, and consequences of inadequate nutrition in infants with congenital heart disease are discussed, as well as medical and nutritional management strategies intended to optimize growth and reduce morbidity.

A medical strategy to reduce persistent chest tube drainage after the fontan operation.

A standardized medical regimen aimed at reducing pleural effusions after the Fontan operation was compared with a randomly selected retrospective cohort. The duration of chest tube drainage, hospital stay, and the need for pleural sclerosis were significantly reduced, indicating that postoperative management plays an important role in reducing this morbidity.