Objective: to characterize nutritional status and variables that predict nutritional changes in children with congenital heart disease.
Method: a cross-sectional study undertaken in two health institutions between January and June 2009, using a questionnaire with questions about nutrition, applied to 132 children under two years of age who had congenital heart disease. Children who had additional serious illnesses were excluded.
Result: the predominant percentile values and Z scores were concentrated within the range of normal levels. The Z scores, however, presented negative variations with a deviation to the left. In the analysis of predictive factors, the occurrence of immediate and acute malnutrition was related to a decrease in skinfold thickness (decrease in subscapular skinfold thickness, while immediate malnutrition was related to a high Apgar score. Chronic malnutrition was related to female children with higher ages.
Conclusion: it is evidenced that it is necessary to carry out nutritional strategies which improve prognosis, so as to widen the nursing care directed at these children.