Commentary: moving towards improved awareness and diagnosis of pediatric sarcopenia

Marcelo Flores-Opazo, et al., in the manuscript titled "Advancing toward the diagnosis of sarcopenia in the pediatric population", have brought to light the difficulties in diagnosing pediatric sarcopenia and have proposed muscle mass-strength-functionality triad in creating a comprehensive definition of pediatric sarcopenia. Good quality studies on pediatric sarcopenia are lacking due to paucity of age and sex specific normative data for skeletal muscle mass and strength, especially in young children and infants. To enable an accurate diagnosis of sarcopenia in children, systematic data on growth, neurocognitive developmental status, and factors affecting physiological growth and development in various pediatric age groups are urgently warranted. As an initial step, promotion of physical literacy accompanied by regular activity would promote improved muscle strength, leading to the acquisition of improved fundamental movement skills contributing to normal growth and development. Consensus is essential in methodological approaches for sarcopenia diagnosis, body composition and skeletal muscle mass measurements, and age-appropriate muscle function tests in children. Early detection and management of sarcopenia in children would help reduce the healthcare burden and improve outcomes.