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Growth and nutritional status in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis

Wioleta Umławska1, Charles Susanne

  • 1Department of Anthropology, University of Wrocław, Poland. wilota@antropo.uni.wroc.pl

Annals of Human Biology
|April 23, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Children with cystic fibrosis exhibit growth retardation and malnutrition, often with infantile body proportions. Early diagnosis and understanding mutation impact are crucial for managing their nutritional status and growth.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Nutritional Science
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Cystic fibrosis (CF) commonly causes growth retardation, delayed puberty, and malnutrition in children.
  • Assessing growth and nutritional status in pediatric CF patients is critical for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate growth and nutritional status in children with cystic fibrosis (CF).
  • To analyze body proportions and body mass index (BMI) in relation to CFTR mutation type and diagnosis age.

Main Methods:

  • Collected anthropometric data from 62 pediatric CF patients in Poland.
  • Expressed anthropometric parameters as standard deviations from population-specific reference means.
  • Utilized two-way ANOVA to correlate CFTR mutation type with diagnosis age and body proportions.

Main Results:

  • CFTR mutation type correlated significantly with height, weight, and transverse chest width.
  • Growth retardation was more pronounced in children diagnosed before age 3.
  • Children displayed infantile body proportions (short legs, long trunks) and nearly 40% were malnourished.

Conclusions:

  • Growth patterns in pediatric CF patients are influenced by CFTR mutation type and diagnosis age.
  • Infantile body proportions and malnutrition are prevalent issues in this cohort.
  • Further research is needed to explore the impact of clinical practice and socioeconomic factors on CF growth.
Abstract

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