Nutritional status assessment by anthropometry in children with chronic liver disease aged 6 months to 12 years

ABSTRACT

Background: In spite of distinctive improvements in nutritional therapy, malnutrition and growth retardation remained as challenging significances of chronic liver disease (CLD) in children. The present study was done to evaluate the severity and frequency of malnutrition using anthropometry in CLD children.Methods: The study included 50 children with CLD attending the OPD of Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Egmore, Chennai during the period from April 2016 to September 2016. Physical growth and nutritional status in the patients were evaluated using anthropometric parameters and Z-scores.Results: The incidence of malnutrition in the children using height for age was found to be 90%, weight for age- 84%, BMI for age- 40%, MAC for age- 88%, TST for age- 88%. SGA showed 96% malnutrition. Weight for age and body mass index were influenced by this fluid retention (P=0.002 and P=0.007 respectively). Whereas height for age, MAC and TST were not influenced by fluid retention (P=0.321, P=0.371 and P=0.031 respectively).Conclusions: Assessment of nutritional status in CLD children can be easily diagnosed by anthropometric measurements. Early diagnosis of malnutrition will decrease the related morbidity and mortality in children.