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Nutritional status and body composition in children with inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective, controlled, and
S Selbuz1, A Kansu2, M Berberoğlu3
1Ankara University School of Medicine, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Ankara, Turkey. kaymaksuna@gmail.com.
Insights
Most children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) maintain good nutrition and growth. However, some experience underweight and growth retardation (GR), with fat mass increasing over time in IBD patients compared to controls.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Nutritional Science
- Chronic Disease Management
Background:
- Malnutrition and growth retardation (GR) are significant complications in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- Crohn's disease (CD) is particularly associated with these extraintestinal manifestations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the nutritional status, growth, and body composition (BC) of children with IBD over a one-year period.
- To compare these parameters between children with IBD and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 38 children with IBD and 57 age/sex-matched controls.
- Evaluated anthropometry (weight, height, BMI, TSFT, mid-arm circumference) and bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline and 1-year follow-up.
- Assessed disease activity using clinical scoring systems and defined GR, undernutrition, severe malnutrition (SM), and obesity using standardized metrics.
Main Results:
- 36 children with IBD and 43 controls completed the study, with most IBD patients in remission.
- No significant changes in the frequency of GR, undernutrition, or SM were observed within the IBD group over the year.
- While most anthropometric and BC changes did not differ between groups, fat mass (FM) showed a gradual increase in IBD patients compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- The majority of pediatric IBD patients exhibit adequate nutrition and growth.
- A subset of children with IBD may still present with underweight and GR.
- IBD patients demonstrate a distinct pattern of fat mass accumulation over time relative to controls.
Background:
Malnutrition and growth retardation (GR) are major extraintestinal presentations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in childhood and are especially prevalent among those with Crohn's disease (CD). We aimed to evaluate nutritional and growth status and body composition (BC) of children with IBD during a 1-year follow-up.
Methods:
Thirty-eight children with IBD and 57 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited prospectively. Anthropometry (weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and triceps skinfold thickness (TSFT) indicated as z scores for age and sex and mid-arm circumference) and bioelectrical impedance analysis were performed at baseline (T0) and after 1 year (T1). Disease activity was evaluated by clinical scoring systems. GR was defined as HAZ < -2, undernutrition as WAZ < -2, severe malnutrition (SM) as BMIZ < -2, and obesity was defined as BMIZ > +2. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
Thirty-six children with IBD (22 ulcerative colitis, 12 CD, and 2 indeterminate colitis) and 43 controls completed the study. Most patients were in remission during the study period (T0:71.4%; T1:72.2%). No significant differences were found regarding the frequency of GR (5.6%/8.3%), undernutrition (11.1%/2.8%), and SM (11.1%/5.6%) between T0 and T1 in the IBD group. The changes in anthropometrics and BC measurements during the study period did not differ between the groups except for the TSFT z score.
Conclusion:
Most patients with IBD were well nourished and grown, although some children were underweight and had GR. Our results suggest that, in IBD patients, the fat mass (FM) showed a gradual increase over time compared with controls.
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