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Body mass index trajectories in pediatric multiple sclerosis

J Nicholas Brenton1, Emma Woolbright2, Christina Briscoe-Abath3

  • 1Pediatric Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|April 6, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Children with multiple sclerosis show higher body mass index (BMI) z-scores years before diagnosis. This indicates increased overweight prevalence in pediatric multiple sclerosis patients from early childhood.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Growth and Development
  • Chronic Disease Epidemiology

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease with a significant impact on pediatric populations.
  • Understanding growth patterns in children with MS is crucial for early identification and management.
  • Previous research has not fully characterized the growth trajectories of children who develop MS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the growth trajectories of children who develop multiple sclerosis (MS) with those of typically developing peers.
  • To assess body mass index (BMI) z-scores in pediatric MS cases relative to matched controls and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) normative data.
  • To investigate BMI differences in relation to the age of MS onset.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 40 pediatric MS patients and 120 typically developing controls, matched for age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
  • Collection of weight, height, and BMI data for all participants.
  • Conversion of BMI values to z-scores using CDC reference data for comparison across cohorts and in relation to MS onset.

Main Results:

  • Pediatric MS patients exhibited significantly higher BMI z-scores compared to both typically developing peers and CDC normative values.
  • These significant BMI differences were observed starting from 4 years of age, predating clinical MS onset (median onset age 15 years).
  • Height trajectories were comparable between the MS cohort, control group, and CDC standards.

Conclusions:

  • Body mass index is markedly elevated in children with MS, beginning in early childhood, years prior to clinical disease manifestation.
  • Pediatric MS patients are significantly more overweight at diagnosis than their typically developing counterparts.
  • Elevated BMI trajectories may serve as an early indicator or risk factor in the development of pediatric multiple sclerosis.
Abstract

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