[Nutritional evaluation of children with cholestatic diseases]

To characterize the type of malnutrition and to determine the usefulness of anthropometric indices in children with chronic liver disease (CLD).

11 children (aged 5 - 105 mo) with CLD underwent anthropometric evaluation when they were clinically stable. The nutritional evaluation was made by the determination of Weight/Age (W/A), Height/Age (H/A) and Weight/Height (W/E) Z scores. The nutritional evaluation by Waterlow's method was also made. The fat and protein body deposits were estimated by triceps skinfold and midarm muscular circumference measurements. The analysis of the 24-hour recall was used to evaluate the quality and pattern of the feeding.

The mean weight / age (W/A = -1.18) and height / age (H/A = - 1.26) Z scores were depressed under 1 SD, whereas mean weight / height (W/H) Z score was normal. The interpretation of the nutritional evaluation by Waterlow's method shows normal mean of the weight and almost normal mean of the height. Only three patients had normal triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) Z score, and the same occurred with five of them with the midarm muscular circumference. The quality and pattern of the feeding was adequate in only 4 patients.

We conclude that chronic malnutrition is common in childhood CLD and that weight/height values underestimate the degree of acute malnutrition compared with TSF thickness, most likely because of the inflated patient weight caused by organomegaly. The reduction of the triceps skinfold thickness best reflected the nutritional impairment of the patients. The quality of feeding of the patients was mostly inadequate.