To evaluate how outcomes changed in newborns undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease after implementation of a standardized preoperative and postoperative nutrition program.

We performed a single-center cohort study of newborns who underwent cardiac surgery between September 2008 and July 2015. We evaluated growth and feeding outcomes in the 2 years of preprogram time (phase 0), in the 2 years after initiation of a postoperative feeding algorithm (phase 1), and in the 2 years following introduction of a preoperative feeding program (phase 2) using traditional statistics and quality improvement methods.

The study included 570 newborns with congenital heart disease. Weight-for-age z-score change from birth to hospital discharge significantly improved from phase 0 (−1.02 [IQR, −1.45 to −0.63]) to phase 1 (−0.83 [IQR, −1.25 to −0.54]; P = .006), with this improvement maintained in phase 2 (−0.89 [IQR, −1.30 to −0.56]; P = .017 across phases). Gastrostomy tube use decreased significantly (25% in phase 0 vs 12% and 14% in phases 1 and 2; P < .001) and preoperative enteral feeding increased significantly (47% and 46% in phases 0 and 1 vs 76% in phase 2; P < .001) without increases in necrotizing enterocolitis, hospital stay, or mortality.

Introduction of a multi-interventional nutrition program was associated with improved weight gain, fewer gastrostomy tubes at hospital discharge, and increased preoperative enteral feeding without increases in necrotizing enterocolitis, hospital stay, or mortality.