Original Research Article
Year: 2020 | Month: April-June | Volume: 5 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 84-88
Nutritional Status Assessment in Children with Chronic Liver Disease
Laxmi Kant Bharti1, Jai Kishun2, Ashok Kumar3, Basant Kumar4
1Additional Professor, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow
2Assistant Professor, Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow
3Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow
4Department of Pediatric Surgery, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow
Corresponding Author: Laxmi Kant Bharti
ABSTRACT
Chronic Liver disease (CLD) is commonly seen problems in children. Children are in the stage of growth and development so the macronutrients and micronutrients requirements is more compared with adults with CLD. Disease process due to CLD on the other hand cause early satiety and anorexia. Combined effects of increased nutritional requirements and anorexia leads to various micronutrient and macronutrient deficiencies. Therefore it is important to diagnose these nutritional deficiencies at the earliest so that early nutritional interventions can be done for better management of children with CLD.
Objective: Purpose of the study was to know and assess the nutritional status of children with CLD.
Methodology: 50 children with CLD recruited from the Pediatric Gastroenterology Department. Assessment was done by taking detailed three day dietary history, weight and height as per IAP guidelines. BMI, Triceps skin fold (TSF), MAC (Mid arm circumference) calculated by respective centile charts. Whole body DEXA scan to know Bone mineral content (BMC) and fat area.
Analysis and results: Half of the children were underweight.44% were stunted and 38% were both stunted and wasted.40% had low BMI and ascites. Smaller children (<5 years) were more severely affected. AMA (Arm muscle area) was affected in majority of children (88%). A synthetic function of liver was low in more than half of the children. DEXA scan reveals low body fat in 28% children and 12% children had lo BMC (Bone mineral content).
Conclusion: Malnutrition is common in children with CLD. Early nutritional status assessment and early nutritional intervention is key for the better outcome of CLD.
Keywords: Nutritional status, Chronic Liver Disease, Whole body DEXA Scan