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[Hemophilia: evaluation of the nutritional status and growth in childhood]
Insights
Pediatric patients with haemophilia (a bleeding disorder) show good growth but may have mild malnutrition and a lean body type. Multicentre follow-up should include auxological growth and nutritional status assessments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
- Human Growth and Development
Context:
- Haemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder affecting antihemophilic factor activity.
- Effective disease management offers a good prognosis for a normal life.
- Pediatric follow-up requires comprehensive assessment beyond bleeding episodes.
Purpose:
- To investigate the inclusion of auxological (growth-related) determinants in the follow-up of pediatric haemophilia patients.
- To assess the growth and nutritional status of children with haemophilia.
- To establish baseline auxological data for haemophilic children.
Summary:
- A preliminary study of 13 pediatric haemophilia patients was conducted.
- Results indicate that patients are growing adequately.
- However, mild malnutrition (arm circumference < -1.6 SD) and a lean body composition (W/H2 ≤ 0 SD) with longer trunks were observed.
Impact:
- Highlights the need to incorporate auxological and nutritional monitoring into standard haemophilia care.
- Suggests a distinct body composition pattern in haemophilic boys.
- Emphasizes the value of multicentre data for confirming these preliminary findings and refining pediatric care protocols.
Abstract:
Haemophilia is a bleeding disorder characterized by decreased activity of the circulating antihemophilic factor, with different degrees of severity. The prognosis of the disease for an useful normal life is good, providing an adeguate follow-up. We think that the auxological determinants of growth and nutritional status must enter as points of a multicentre follow-up sheet of haemophilia in the pediatric age. We have tried such an approach in 13 patients; preliminary results have shown that all patients are growing well with some degrees of discrete malnutrition (arm circumference less than -1.6 SD). From costitutional point of view, haemophilic boys show a discrete "lean" body pattern (W/H2 less than or equal to O SD(with their trunk longer than legs. Data from other studies are wellcome for confirming our first impressions.