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Nutritional status and growth in Korean children with Crohn's disease: a single-center study
Seung Min Song1, Young Kim1, Seak Hee Oh1
1Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Pediatric Crohn
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research
Background:
- Malnutrition and growth retardation are significant challenges in pediatric Crohn's disease (CD) management.
- Early identification of nutritional and growth issues is crucial for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of nutritional and growth abnormalities in Korean children diagnosed with CD.
- To explore the relationship between these parameters and disease characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height (WHZ), body mass index for age (BMIZ), and bone mineral density for age (BMDZ) Z-scores in 71 pediatric CD patients.
- Assessment of biochemical markers and correlation with disease activity, extent, and behavior.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of abnormal growth parameters at diagnosis: 4% HAZ <-2, 28% WHZ <-2, 27% BMIZ <-2, 18% BMDZ <-2.
- Subnormal levels of key nutrients (hemoglobin, albumin, iron, calcium, zinc, etc.) were common.
- Lower HAZ in females and those with extraintestinal manifestations; lower WHZ/BMIZ in patients with stricturing/penetrating disease.
Conclusions:
- Abnormal nutritional status and growth retardation are highly prevalent in Korean pediatric CD patients at diagnosis.
- These abnormalities are significantly associated with disease extent, behavior, and activity.
Background/Aims:
Malnutrition and growth retardation are important issues in treating pediatric Crohn's disease (CD). Thus, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of various nutritional and growth parameters at the time of diagnosis in Korean children with CD.
Methods:
Seventy-one children (<18 years) were enrolled. We analyzed the Z-scores of height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height (WHZ), body mass index for age (BMIZ), bone mineral density for age (BMDZ), and the biochemical markers measured at the time of diagnosis.
Results:
At diagnosis, HAZ <-2 was observed in three patients (4%), WHZ <-2 in 20 patients (28%), BMIZ <-2 in 19 patients (27%), and BMDZ <-2 in 11 patients (18%). The HAZ was significantly lower in females and patients with extraintestinal manifestations, and the WHZ and BMIZ were significantly lower in patients with stricturing and penetrating disease. Subnormal serum levels were highly prevalent for hemoglobin, albumin, iron, ferritin, calcium, magnesium, folate, vitamin B12, and zinc. There was a significant correlation between nutritional status, growth retardation, and disease activity.
Conclusions:
Abnormal nutritional status was highly prevalent in Korean children with CD at the time of diagnosis and was associated with the extent, behavior, and activity of the disease.
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