Growth impairment and nutritional status in children with chronic kidney disease

Betul Sozeri1, Sevgi Mir, Orhan Deniz Kara

  • 1Ege University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Turkey.

Insights

Growth failure and malnutrition affect nearly half of pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. These issues are linked to patient age and treatment type, highlighting a significant clinical challenge.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nephrology
  • Clinical Nutrition
  • Growth and Development

Background:

  • Malnutrition is a known complication in adult chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, associated with adverse outcomes.
  • Limited data exists regarding the prevalence and impact of malnutrition and growth failure in pediatric CKD populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of growth failure and malnutrition in children with CKD.
  • To investigate the interrelationships between growth, malnutrition, and clinical parameters in pediatric CKD.
  • To explore the influence of age and therapy modalities on these nutritional and growth parameters.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 42 pediatric CKD patients was compared to 29 healthy controls.
  • Patients were stratified by age group and treatment modality (predialysis, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis).
  • Nutritional status was assessed using Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines, with age-adjusted reference values.

Main Results:

  • 45% of pediatric CKD patients exhibited malnutrition.
  • Malnutrition was prevalent across predialysis and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) groups.
  • Children with ESRD showed significantly lower mean height and weight Standard Deviation Scores (SDS) compared to other groups.
  • Height SDS varied across different age groups, being lower in the pubertal period compared to early childhood.

Conclusions:

  • Growth failure and malnutrition are significant and prevalent issues in children with CKD.
  • The prevalence and severity of these conditions are dependent on the patient's age and the type of renal replacement therapy.
  • These findings underscore the need for targeted nutritional and growth monitoring in pediatric CKD management.
Abstract

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