Estado nutricional de crianças com paralisia cerebral / Nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o estado nutricional de 114 crianças com paralisia cerebral, entre 2 e 12,9 anos de idade. MÉTODO: Estudo transversal incluindo crianças atendidas nos ambulatórios de gastropediatria, ortopedia e neuropediatria de um hospital terciário universitário. Os indicadores nutricionais antropométricos estudados foram: peso, altura, índice de massa corporal, área muscular e de gordura do braço. RESULTADOS: A frequência de comprometimento nutricional (Escore-Z <-2), de acordo com os indicadores antropométricos para a idade e a média com o desvio-padrão, foram: 50,9 por cento para peso, com média de -2,19 (DP=2,48), 38,6 por cento para altura, média: -1,66 (DP=1,50), 45,6 por cento para índice de massa corporal, média: -1,74 (DP=2,75), 29,8 por cento para área muscular do braço, média: -1,03 (DP=1,73) e 35,1 por cento para área de gordura do braço, média: -1,15 (DP=1,41). CONCLUSÃO: A desnutrição foi frequente em crianças com paralisia cerebral. As crianças com paralisia cerebral do tipo tetraparético apresentaram os indicadores antropométricos mais comprometidos: peso e índice de massa corporal, com 72,4 por cento e 73,1 por cento das crianças com Escore-Z <-2 respectivamente.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of 114 children aged 2 to 12.9 years with cerebral palsy. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included children treated at the gastropediatric, orthopedic and neuropediatric outpatient clinics of a tertiary university hospital. The studied anthropometric indicators were: weight, height, body mass index and mid-upper arm fat and muscle area. RESULTS: The rate of malnutrition (Z-score <-2) according to the anthropometric indicators for age, mean and standard deviation (SD) were: 50.9 percent for weight, with a mean of -2.19 (SD=2.48), 38.6 percent for height, mean: -1.66 (SD=1.50), 45.6 percent for body mass index, mean: -1.74 (SD=2.75), 29.8 percent for mid-upper arm muscle area, mean: -1.03 (SD=1.73) and 35.1 percent for mid-upper arm fat area, mean: -1.15 (SD=1.41). CONCLUSION: Malnutrition was common in children with cerebral palsy. The anthropometric indicators were worse in children with tetraparetic cerebral palsy: 72.4 percent and 73.1 percent of the children had Z-scores <-2 for weight and body mass index, respectively.

Chagasic megaesophagus and megacolon diagnosed in childhood and probably caused by vertical transmission

Reports on children presenting symptoms compatible with the chronic phase of Chagas disease are sporadic. We report a case of a 7-year-old boy who had megaesophagus and megacolon, both of them a consequence of the trypanosomiasis. The etiology was established by means of laboratory and histological features. Based on epidemiological data, the authors concluded that vertical transmission was the most probable route of acquisition. This diagnosis should be considered in children presenting similar complaints, even those living away from endemic areas