What could be the cause of slow weight gain and shortness of breath in a 1-month-old baby with a large VSD?

Question

Hello doctor,

My second son was diagnosed with a large VSD when he was 7 days old following a murmur detected when he was born. Pediatric Cardiologist suggested open heart surgery at three months. Now he is one month old and has not gained much weight, increasing by about 20 grams. He was 6.944561 pounds when born and is now 7.385486 pounds. Kindly help. My wife could not breastfeed him, as he does not have that much energy, so pumping and bottle feeding the baby. Baby has short breath and is now on Lasix.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Sorry, to hear about your child's health issues; I understand what you are going through.

A large ventricular septal defect (VSD) is associated with poor weight gain in babies. Due to reduced oxygen, the baby gets tired early while breastfeeding, which leads to poor weight gain. A 1 month-year-old baby's normal weight is between 7.49572 pounds - 12.54 pounds. So your baby's weight is fine as of now.

I usually advise my patients to administer high-calorie formulas so that even if your baby feeds in small amounts, they can get the required nutrients. In severe cases, tube feeding is what I advise if necessary. But that is not necessary, as your baby's weight is fine for now. Hopefully, he would get better, as the Lasix would help his condition. I wish him a quick recovery.

Thank you.

What could be the cause of slow weight gain and shortness of breath in a 1-month-old baby with a large VSD?

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