Performance of remote health education via WeChat to improve the pre-operative nutritional status of infants with non-restrictive ventricular septal defects: A prospective randomised controlled study.

AIM This study aimed to explore the effect of performing remote health education via WeChat to improve the pre-operative nutritional status of non-restrictive ventricular septal defects (VSD). METHODS A prospective randomised controlled study was conducted in a provincial maternity and child hospital in China. Participants were randomised regarding education to the intervention group (WeChat) and the control group (leaflets). The nutritional status and complications of the patients were compared after intervening for 1 month. RESULTS Nutrient status comparison at 1 month after intervention showed that the body weight, head circumference, haemoglobin, albumin and pre-albumin of the WeChat group were significantly higher than those of the leaflet group (P   0.05). CONCLUSION Providing pre-operative feeding and care guidance for parents of infants with non-restrictive VSD, via remote health education through WeChat, can effectively improve nutritional status and reduce the risk of malnutrition and feeding complications.