Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-24hb2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T12:22:59.877Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Impact on parents of feeding young children with congenital or acquired cardiac disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 August 2008

Christine Imms*
Affiliation:
Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
*
Christine Imms, Lecturer, Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia Tel: 61 (3) 9479 5667; E-mail .c.imms@latrobe.edu.au

Abstract

Feeding an infant is an interactive process that facilitates social, emotional and culturally based skills. Children with congenital or acquired cardiac disease frequently require supportive regimes with regard to feeding so as to maintain weight, resulting in altered experiences for both the child and family. This study evaluated the practical, emotional and social ramifications for parents, of having a child with cardiac disease who also experienced difficulties with oral feeding. The study sampled three groups of parents who had children less than 3 years of age: those with cardiac disease who had difficulty in feeding, those with cardiac disease and no such difficulty, and those with no medical diagnosis. Parents completed a questionnaire about feeding, a time diary of activities involved in feeding, and Tuckman's Mood Thermometers, which measure anger and ‘poorness-of-mood’ associated with feeding the identified child. Parents of children with cardiac disease and a feeding difficulty reported a significantly more negative mood-state, and significantly longer time associated with feeding, than parents of children in the other two groups. Emerging themes from qualitative analysis of the data suggested that having a child with congenital cardiac disease producing difficulty in feeding had a strong negative impact on the whole family.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Combs, V, Marino, B.A comparison of growth patterns in breast and bottle-fed infants with congenital heart disease. Pediatr Nurs. 1993; 19: 175179.Google ScholarPubMed
2. Lobo, M, Michel, Y.Behavioral and physiological response during feeding in infants with congenital heart disease: A naturalistic study. Prog Cardiovasc Nurs. 1995; 10: 2634.Google ScholarPubMed
3. Marino, B, O'Brien, P, LoRe, H.Oxygen saturations during breast and bottle feedings in infants with congenital heart disease. J Pediatr Nurs 1995; 10: 360364.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4. Schwarz, S, Gewitz, M, See, C, Berezin, S, Glassman, M, Medow, C, Fish, B, Newman, L.Enteral nutrition in infants with congenital heart disease and growth failure. Pediatr. 1990; 86: 386–373.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. Thommessen, M, Heiberg, A, Kase, BF.Feeding problems in children with congenital heart disease: The inpact on energy intake and growth outcome. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1991; 46: 457464.Google Scholar
6. Clare, MD.Home care of infants and children with cardiac disease. Heart Lung. 1985; 14: 218222.Google ScholarPubMed
7. Daberkow, E, Washington, R. Cardiovascular diseases and surgical interventions. In: Merenstein, A, Gardner, J, (eds). Handbook of neonatal intensive care. 2nd ed.CV Mosby & Company; St Louis, MO: 1989: pp 427464.Google Scholar
8. Lobo, M.Parent-infant interaction during feeding when the infant has congenital heart disease. J Pediatr Nurs. 1992; 7: 97105.Google ScholarPubMed
9. Bithoney, WG, Dubowitz, H. Organic concomitants of nonorganic failure to thrive: Implications for research. In Drotar, D, (ed). New Directions in Failure to Thrive: Implications for Research and Practice. Plenum Press; New York: 1985: pp 4768.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10. Drotar, D. New directions in failure to thrive. Implications for research and practice. Plenum Press; New York: 1985.Google ScholarPubMed
11. Boulton, J, Laron, A, Rey, J.Long term consequences of early feeding. Lippincott-Raven; Philadelphia: 1996.Google Scholar
12. Bremner, G, Slater, A, Butterworth, G. Infant development: Recent advances. Psychology Press; Sussex, UK: 1997.Google Scholar
13. Galler, JR. The behavioral consequences of malnutrition in early life. In: Galler, J, (ed). Nutrition and Behavior. Plenum press; New York: 1984: pp 63111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Rudolph, C.Feeding disorders in infants and children. J Pediatr. 1994; 125: (SI1624).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Galler, J, Ricciuti, H, Crawford, M, Kucharski, LT.The role of mother-infant interaction in nutrition disorders. In: Galler, J, (ed). Nutrition and Behavior Plenum Press; New York; 1984: pp 269300.Google Scholar
16. Stern, D. The motherhood constellation: A unified view of parent-infant psychotherapy. Basic Books; New York: 1995.Google Scholar
17. Ulrey, G, Rogers, S.. Psychological assessment of handicapped infants and young children. Thieme-Stratton Inc.; New York; 1982.Google Scholar
18. Leiderman, PH, Tulkin, S, Rosenfeld, A.Culture and infancy: Variations in the human experience. Academic Press Inc.; New York: 1977.Google Scholar
19. Popkin, B, Lasky, T, Litvin, J, Spicer, D, Yamamoto, M.The infant-feeding triad: Infant, mother and household. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers; New York: 1986.Google Scholar
20. Waxier-Morrison, N, Anderson, J, Richardson, E.Cross cultural caring. UBC Press; Vancouver, Canada: 1990.Google Scholar
21. Brazelton, TB, Cramer, BG.The earliest relationship: Parents, infants and the drama of early attachment. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc.; Reading, MA: 1990.Google Scholar
22. Lyons-Ruth, K, Block, D. The disturbed caregiving system. Relations among childhood trauma, maternal caregiving and infant affect and attachment. Infant Ment Health J. 1996; 17: 257275.3.0.CO;2-L>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23. Limperopoulos, C, Majnemer, A, Shevell, MI, Rosenblatt, B, Rohlicek, C, Tchervenkov, C.Neurologic status of newborns with congenital heart defects before open heart surgery. Pediatr. 1999; 103: 402408.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24. Forchielli, ML, McColl, R, Walker, WA, Lo, C.Children with congenital heart disease. A nutritional challenge. Nutr Rev. 1994; 52: 348353.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25. Varan, B, Tokel, K, Yilmaz, G.Malnutrition and growth failure in cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart disease with and without pulmonary hypertension. Arch Dis Child 1999; 81: 4952.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26. Goldberg, S, Simmons, R, Newman, J, Campbell, K, Fowler, R.Congenital heart disease, parental stress, and infant-mother relationships,.; Pediatr. 1991; 119: 661666.Google ScholarPubMed
27. Stinson, J, McKeever, P.Mother's information needs related to caring for infants at home following cardiac surgery. J Pediatr Nurs. 1995; 10: 4857.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28. Goldberg, S, Morris, P, Simmons, RJ, Fowler, R, Levison, H.Chronic illness in infancy and parenting stress. A comparison of three groups of parents. J Pediatr Psychol. 1990; 15: 347358.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29. Svavarsdottir, EK, McCubbin, M.Parenthood transition for parents of an infant diagnosed with a congenital heart condition. J Pediatr Nurs. 1996; 11: 207216.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30. Ferencz, C, Villasenor, AC.Epidemiology of cardiovascular malformations: The state of the art. Cardiol Young. 1991; 1: 264284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31. Tuckman, B.The scaling of mood. Educ Psychol Measur. 1988, 48: 419427.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32. Walker, KE, Woods, M.. Time use: A measure of household production of family goods and services. American Home Economics Association; Washington: 1976.Google Scholar