Weight gain and triceps skinfolds fat mass after gastrostomy placement in children with developmental disabilities

To determine appropriate outcome indicators of nutritional status that are measurable over time after gastrostomy placement in children with severe neurologic impairments.

Twenty-two nonambulatory children met the selection criteria: feeding by gastrostomy of at least 50% of total energy, age between 1 and 12 years, diagnosis of neurologic impairments, and presurgical recommendation for weight gain. Each child served as his or her own control; three assessments were made after gastrostomy placement.

Children were seen in specialty outpatient clinics.

Scores and Pearson product moment correlations.

Outcomes of gastrostomy placement were (a) increase in actual weight, (b) increase in weight-age equivalent, (c) rate of weight accretion as expected by National Center for Health Statistics growth charts and improved z scores for half of the children, and (d) improvement in triceps skinfolds percentiles for nearly half (n = 10) of the children. The results reflect the heterogeneity of children with severe disabilities. Pearson correlations showed a significant relationship between chronologic age and weight-age equivalent (r = .96), but not for weight for age and weight-age equivalent, or triceps skinfolds fat mass and weight-age equivalent.

Weight and triceps skinfolds fat mass were appropriate outcome indicators of nutritional status measurable over time. Weight-age equivalent and z scores were more helpful than standard growth plots for interpreting weight gain over time. Our data also support findings that undernutrition limits growth before gastrostomy placement in patients with disabilities. Nutritionists are encouraged to track improvement in nutritional status after gastrostomy placement with measurements of triceps skinfolds fat mass and to use the information to support families facing decisions about the need for this surgery.