Gastrointestinal Problems in Children With CHD: Impact and Management

Course overview

Infants and children with congenital heart defects (CHD) are at high risk for gastrointestinal complications due to altered cardiac physiology and timing of surgical intervention. Gastrointestinal difficulties can impact oral feeding development in young children, impacting growth and nutrition. When working with children with CHD who have feeding difficulties, it is important to understand how the GI system can be affected and how dysfunction in this system can result in oral feeding difficulties. This intermediate course will benefit clinicians working with this population by helping them understand various complications of the GI tract and its impact on growth, nutrition, and oral feeding skill development. Management strategies and nutrition considerations will be discussed.