Fortified Skimmed Mother's Milk in the Management of Chylothorax

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Fortified Skimmed Mother's Milk Versus Specialized Formula in the Management of Chylous Effusion in Infants Following Cardiothoracic Surgery

The purpose of this study is to determine if the use of fortified skimmed mother's milk is a safe alternative to specialized formula in the treatment of chylothorax following cardiothoracic surgery.

A chylothorax is a collection of fluid around the lungs that can occur after cardiac surgery. The fluid contains chyle, a milky fluid consisting of fat droplets. The standard treatment is to feed an infant with a specialized low fat formula for up to 6 weeks until the chest has time to heal. This formula is generally not well tolerated and mother's of our patients have expressed a desire to continue using breast milk. A few case reports have been published, but there have not been any studies to date looking at this. Data will be collected to include information about nutrition, weight gain, teaching needs, surgical, hospital, and discharge information.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Infant birth to 12 months of age
• Undergo cardiothoracic surgery
• Develop a chylous effusion
• Be a breastfed or formula fed infant

Exclusion Criteria:

• Infant over 12 months of age
• Infant in state custody (foster care)
• Infant with milk protein allergy
• Infant born with congenital chylothorax
• Infant who develops chylothorax from other surgeries (non-cardiac