ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SHORT STATURE AND HAIR ELEMENTS

Aim - assessment of hair elemental status, determination of elemental imbalances and heavy metal concentration and evaluation its impact on child liner growth. Case-control study involves 112 children less than 5 years old (target group - 54 children with short stature, control - 58 children with normal physical development). Medical history, nutritional status, anthropological parameters were assessed. Patients with genetic and endocrine disorders, family short stature were excluded from the study. Child elemental status was detected in the hair, with roentgen-fluorescence spectrometer method. Statistical analysis was conduced using SPPS19. Assessment of the dietary history does not reveal any significant differences between the groups, the only exception was consumption of fish, that was statistically significantly lower than in control (p<0,05). The study revealed deficiency of some elements in both (study and control) groups, but there were significant difference between the groups: Zn deficiency 90% versus 40% (p<0,05), Ca deficiency 62 and 36 (p<0,05), Cu deficiency 50 and 16 (p<0,05) and Mn deficiency 30 and 6 (p<0,05) accordingly. Level of some elements (K, S, Br, Cl, Co, Ag, V, Ni, Rb, Sr, Ti, Ba, As, Cd, Zr, Sb) have normal values. Some element deficiency (Fe, Mo, Se) was higher in study group but the difference was not significant. The study revealed high level of hair lead in both groups: all patients (100%) of target group have elevated level of hair lead, among them in 35,8% the content of lead was above so-called minimal allowed level (p<5,0 ppm) and in 64,5% the content of lead in the hair was above so-called maximal allowed level (p≥5,0 ppm). In the control group, lead in the hair was detected in 78% of cases, though the concentration was only in 2% of cases higher than so called maximum allowed. Our study clearly indicated deficiency of trace elements, particularly essential ones and high lead contamination in children with short stature. Our study proves, that analyzing of trace elements and heavy metals levels and evaluation of its influence on health and development have great importance especially during early years, in the critical period of active growth and development.