The well-nourished infant with intussusception. Fact or fallacy?
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Children with intussusception show poor nutritional status, with 26% below the fifth percentile for weight-for-length. This suggests malnourishment, not just apparent good health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Gastroenterology
- Child Health
Background:
- Intussusception is a common pediatric surgical emergency.
- Nutritional status in children with intussusception requires further investigation.
- Assessing anthropometric data is crucial for evaluating child well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the nutritional status of children diagnosed with intussusception.
- To compare the nutritional parameters of intussusception patients with a control group.
- To identify potential indicators of malnourishment in pediatric intussusception cases.
Main Methods:
- Weight, length, and weight-for-length percentiles were measured in 100 children with intussusception.
- A control group of 100 children undergoing elective surgery was included for comparison.
- Data were compared against National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) standards.
Main Results:
- 26% of children with intussusception had weight-for-length ratios below the fifth percentile.
- Only 11% of the control group exhibited ratios below the fifth percentile.
- The observed nutritional differences were not explained by symptom duration, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Conclusions:
- Children with intussusception exhibit anthropometric data suggestive of malnourishment.
- Despite appearing well-nourished, intussusception patients are not better nourished than the general population.
- Nutritional assessment is vital for children with intussusception.
Abstract:
To assess the nutritional status of children with intussusception, the weight, length, and weight-for-length percentiles of 100 children with intussusception and 100 children admitted to the hospital for elective surgery was determined and compared with the National Center for Health Statistics standards. Of the children with intussusception, 26% were found to have a weight-for-length ratio below the fifth percentile while only 11% of the children admitted for elective surgery had ratios below the fifth percentile. This difference could not be explained by duration of symptoms, vomiting, or diarrhea. Therefore, although children with intussusception may appear "well nourished" they are no better nourished than the general population and, in fact, a significant number exhibit anthropometric data suggestive of malnourishment.