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Evaluation of the Nutritional Status in Institutionalized Children and its Relationship to the Development of

M L Nunes1, G C Teixeira2, I Fabris2

  • 1a Division of Neurology , São Lucas University Hospital and School of Medicine-Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) , Av. Ipiranga 6690 #322, Porto Alegre , RS , Brazil 90610-000.

Nutritional Neuroscience
|July 15, 2016
PubMed

Insights

This study investigated if malnutrition causes epilepsy in children. While malnourished children had more epilepsy cases, the link was not statistically significant, suggesting other factors are involved.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neurology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Malnutrition remains a major cause of infant mortality globally.
  • Childhood epilepsy is prevalent, with a suspected but unproven link to malnutrition.
  • Early malnutrition risk factors include poor perinatal care and low birth weight.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential causal relationship between malnutrition and epilepsy in human infants.
  • To analyze anthropometric and medical data to assess malnutrition's impact on epilepsy development.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of anthropometric and medical files of infants in a governmental institution.
  • Defined malnutrition as height/weight below two standard deviations from NCHS growth charts.
  • Included 243 children: 101 malnourished and 133 nourished.

Main Results:

  • Malnutrition showed a predominance in girls (49%).
  • A comorbidity of malnutrition and neurological disorders was observed.
  • Epilepsy cases were more frequent in the malnourished group, but the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

  • The study could not establish malnutrition as a direct cause of epilepsy in the studied population.
  • Other central nervous system damaging diseases confound the relationship between malnutrition and epilepsy.
  • Further research is needed to clarify the complex interplay of factors contributing to childhood epilepsy.

Keywords:
ChildhoodEpilepsyIntrauterine malnutritionMalnutritionSeizures

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