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Bioelectrical impedance phase angle and nutritional status in children with intestinal failure on prolonged
Victória A Alves1, Juliana M Giesta1, Vera L Bosa2
1Post-Graduate Program of Child and Adolescent Health, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Insights
Children with intestinal failure (IF) on parenteral nutrition (PN) had lower weight and height z-scores but similar phase angles (PhA) compared to healthy peers. This suggests PhA may not reflect nutritional status changes in IF patients on PN.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Nutritional Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Intestinal failure (IF) in children often necessitates prolonged parenteral nutrition (PN), impacting growth and body composition.
- Phase angle (PhA), a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameter, is a potential indicator of cellular integrity and nutritional status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the phase angle (PhA) measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in children with intestinal failure (IF) receiving prolonged parenteral nutrition (PN) against a healthy control group.
Main Methods:
- A study group of children under 10 with IF on PN for over 60 days was compared to a sex- and age-matched control group.
- Evaluated anthropometric parameters included weight, height, and various z-scores (W/A, H/A, BMI/A).
- Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameters measured were resistance (R), reactance (Xc), and phase angle (PhA).
Main Results:
- Children with IF on PN exhibited significantly lower weight-for-age (W/A) and height-for-age (H/A) z-scores compared to controls.
- No significant difference was observed in the phase angle (PhA) between the IF group and the control group.
- While prematurity was higher in the IF group, gestational age did not correlate with PhA.
Conclusions:
- Children with IF on prolonged PN demonstrate impaired growth (lower W/A and H/A z-scores) but maintain a comparable phase angle (PhA) to healthy children.
- Phase angle (PhA) may not be a sensitive indicator of nutritional status changes in pediatric IF patients undergoing PN.
Objective:
To compare the phase angle (PhA) through bioelectrical impedance (BIA) of children with intestinal failure (IF) using prolonged parenteral nutrition (PN) followed by an Intestinal Rehabilitation Program, with a control group.
Methods:
Children under 10 years of age with IF using prolonged PN for >60 days (study group) were included. The control group consisted of healthy children without chronic pathologies, matched by sex and age. Anthropometric parameters evaluated were: weight, height, weight/age z-score (W/A), height/age z-score (H/A), BMI, BMI/A z-score, arm circumference, triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold, mid-arm muscle circumference. BIA parameters were resistance (R), reactance (Xc), and phase angle (PhA).
Results:
Twenty-eight children were included in the study group, median (IQR) age was 11 (8-27) months, 53.6 % were male. In the control group, 28 children were included, median (IQR) age was 12.5 (8-24.7) months, 50 % were male. Children from the study group had W/A z-scores and H/A z-scores significantly lower than controls. There was no significant difference between PhA in the study group and controls, [median (IQR) 4.3° (3.8;4.6) vs 4.0° (3.8;5.4) respectively, p = 0.980]. Prematurity was significantly higher in the study group than in the controls, but there was no significant correlation between gestational age at birth and PhA of the children from the study group.
Conclusion:
Children with IF using prolonged PN showed lower W/A and H/A compared to the control group, but without significant difference between the PhA of children with IF compared to controls.
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