Related Experiment Videos
Body composition in children with sickle cell disease
Elizabeth M Barden1, Deborah A Kawchak, Kwaku Ohene-Frempong
1Department of Public Health, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston, USA.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|June 26, 2002
Summary
Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) show impaired growth and delayed maturation. They exhibit significant deficits in fat-free mass and fat mass, indicating unmet nutritional needs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Genetics
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with impaired growth, poor nutrition, and delayed maturation in children.
- The specific body composition deficits in pediatric SCD require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess growth, nutritional status, and body composition in African American children with type SS SCD.
- To compare body composition metrics between children with SCD and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 36 children with SCD and 30 healthy controls (ages 5-18).
- Assessed height, weight, bone age, pubertal status, skinfold thickness, and arm circumference.
- Estimated fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) using four methods.
Main Results:
- Children with SCD had significantly lower z scores for weight, height, arm circumference, and upper arm fat/muscle areas compared to controls.
- Skeletal maturation was significantly delayed in children with SCD.
- Children with SCD exhibited lower FM and FFM across all analyzed groups after age adjustment.
Conclusions:
- Children with SCD experience impaired growth, delayed puberty, and poor nutritional status.
- Low fat and muscle mass in children with SCD suggest inadequate energy and protein stores.
- These body composition abnormalities highlight the unmet nutritional needs in African American children with SCD.