Obesity trends in children, adolescents, and young adults with congenital heart disease

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence, age of onset, and risk factors for overweight and obesity in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). STUDY DESIGN: Children with CHD who were seen at our institution from 1996 to 2017 were studied. Patients were full-time residents of the United States and were receiving all cardiac care at our institution. Patients were categorized by age and CHD diagnosis. The date of last normal weight for age and the date of first recorded weight in the range of overweight and obese were documented. RESULTS: Nine hundred sixty-eight patients with CHD were included. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 31.5% and 16.4%, respectively. For patients who became overweight or obese, the last recorded normal weight was between 6 and 10 years of age. Electrophysiologic disease and older age were risk factors for obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Children with CHD have an increasing risk of becoming overweight and obese in early childhood. This study provides important information and identifies critical period to implement preventative measures and counsel families about the risk of obesity in CHD.