Anthropometric Measurements Of Children Research Articles

Does the Bow Fit: Using Anthropometry and Grip Strength to Assess Fractional-Size Violin Bows

This study evaluates the dimensions of fractional-size violin bows in relation to the anthropometric and grip-strength measurements of children and adults. In string education, various methods and devices have been put forward to measure children for the correct violin size, but there is a lack of research regarding the proper bow size. Results from this study indicate that fractional-size bows are manufactured with nearly identical dimensions to full-size bows, except for total length. A review of anthropometry research affirms that children’s hands grow at a near constant proportion to their arms. This finding indicates the need for fractional-size bows with dimensions different from the current standard. An analysis of grip-strength research in children at various ages suggests that the weights of fractional-size bows are also not ideal. Experimental bow dimensions are proposed for further study and recommendations are made to decrease the weights of fractional-size violin bows to make them better suited for children.

Association between dietary fat quality indices with anthropometric measurements in children and adolescents

BackgroundThe association between anthropometric measures and dietary fat quality indices is unclear in pediatric age groups. The present study aimed to assess the association between dietary lipophilic index (LI) and thrombogenic index (TI) as dietary fat quality indices with anthropometric measurements in children and adolescents.MethodThis nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted on 4323 students aged 6-18 years that were selected by multistage cluster sampling from 31 provinces of Iran. Dietary intake was collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire and dietary LI and TI were calculated by formula. Data on anthropometric measures were collected by standard protocols.ResultsThe multivariate regression analysis revealed that TI and LI had inverse association with neck circumference Z-score (β = 0.11, p = 0.013 and β = 0.12 p = 0.006, respectively). There was a positive correlation between LI with height Z-score (β = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.01, p = 0.009). However, there was no significant association between LI and TI with other anthropometric indices (P > 0.05).ConclusionThe quality of dietary fats was associated with some anthropometric indices. Further large-scale studies are required to highlight the importance of dietary fat quality indices in relation to cardio-metabolic risk factors in pediatric age groups. Reducing intake of saturated fatty acids, increasing consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids and a balanced intake of omega-3 and omega-6 to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases risk factors are recommended.

Association between dietary exposure to bisphenols and body mass index in Spanish schoolchildren.

The increase in children obesity worldwide has been of particular concern in recent decades. Environmental factors have been proposed as contributors to obesity, and there is a growing concern over obesogens, environmental chemicals with potential obesity‐related endocrine‐disrupting properties. In this regard, bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogues are suspected to have obesogenic properties. Current document report on the activities of the fellow, undertaken during the fourth, 2020–2021 cycle of the EU‐FORA programme at the University of Granada, Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, in Spain. The work programme offered by the hosting site was related to the extrapolation of bisphenols exposure following the determination of these compounds in food frequently consumed by children and in their biological samples. The fellow has participated in the recruitment of the study population in the health centres. In addition, she has participated in the collection of the children biological samples, anthropometric measurements and dietary surveys and in the optimisation of the laboratory methodology for the extraction of bisphenols in biological samples. All these activities also provided the fellow an opportunity to develop her data science related skills, which will benefit her professional development. In addition, the fellow gained an overview of various topics related to food safety risk assessment by attending the EU‐FORA dedicated training modules.

Oral Health Status and Practices, and Anthropometric Measurements of Preschool Children: Protocol for a Multi-African Country Survey.

BackgroundOral diseases are among the most prevalent conditions with significant impact on the growth and development of young children. Data are required to plan effectively for the management of early childhood caries (ECC) and other oral diseases in this age. There are currently very few African countries with updated and nationally representative data on ECC prevalence, and risk indicators and regional data on ECC and other oral diseases are scarce.ObjectiveWe aim to determine the oral health status and practices, dietary intake, and anthropometric measurements of preschool children in several African countries.MethodsA cross-sectional study will be conducted in several African countries using a standardized questionnaire and clinical examination for data collection from healthy preschool children in kindergartens and primary health care facilities. The clinical examination will assess ECC using the decayed, missing due to caries, and filled teeth (dmft) index according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, dental erosion (using the Basic Erosive Wear Examination Index), deciduous molar hypomineralization (using the European Association of Paediatric Dentistry criteria), dental fluorosis (using Dean’s Index), oral hygiene status (using the Oral Hygiene Index Simplified), and oral mucosal lesions. Oral hygiene habits and dental visits will be assessed using the WHO child questionnaire, and dietary intake will be assessed using the Food and Agriculture Organization method. Anthropometric measurements will be obtained following the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry standard protocol, and the children’s nutritional status will be assessed following the WHO child growth standards. To train and calibrate examiners, educational resources and electronic forms will be used to reach interexaminer and intraexaminer reliability with κ>0.6. Descriptive analysis will determine the prevalence of clinical conditions by age and sex. Bivariate analysis and multivariable regression will assess associations between the clinical conditions and sociodemographic factors, and oral health behaviors.ResultsData collection will begin after approvals and ethical clearance are obtained. The first stage will include 3 countries, namely Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa, and collaborators from other African countries will join afterward.ConclusionsThis study will lay down the foundations for using validated tools to collect data on the oral health of young children in Africa, allowing researchers from different countries across Africa to collect standardized data on ECC and other oral conditions. This will facilitate comparisons and analysis of risk factors that might be unique to the African continent. The results will provide baseline data on the prevalence of oral diseases and enable planning to address the treatment needs of young African children and design programs to prevent oral diseases in the African continent.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/33552

Investigating The Effect of Nutritional Status of Primary School Children on Their Physical Development and School Performanc

It is a proven fact in many studies that healthy, regular and proper nutrition is essential for growth and development in children. The factors affecting this situation are the socio- economic conditions, intake of breast milk, the ratio of nutrient components, and many other factors such as meal patterns. The duration intake of breast milk takes place within this interaction. The aim of the study is to compare the frequency of nutrition with the anthropometric measurements of children in public and private schools between 7-10 age group in approximately 300 students in the provinces of Ankara and Istanbul. Survey data were collected from the children attending the research under the supervision of their parents and teachers. In addition, the anthropometric measurements of the children, the infirmary in the school and the nursing staff under the supervision of the school and the appropriate conditions were made by the researcher. With the control of the teachers, five students with the highest grade point average and the last five students with lower levels of achievement were identified. Weight and height percentile curves of children in private schools were found to be significantly different when compared to those in public schools. The reason for this is that as the socioeconomic level increases in developing countries, the proportion of healthy eating ratios is inversely proportional. No significant difference was found between school types and body mass indexes. In addition, the relationship with breast milk was also investigated and no significant difference was found. It is considered that the reason for this is that the number of samples should be increased. and further studies are needed.

Annelere Yönelik Beslenme Eğitiminin Yeme Farkındalığı Çocuk Besleme Davranışları ve Antropometrik Ölçümler Üzerine Etkisi: Randomize Kontrollü Pilot Çalışma

This pretest-posttest randomized controlled, pilot study was conducted to determine the effect of feeding education for mothers on eating awareness, child nutrition behaviors and anthropometric measurements. It was conducted with 24 mothers with three to six-year-old children attending a public kindergarten. An eight-week education consisting of eight sessions on mother and child feeding was given to mothers in the intervention group. The data were collected using the Information Form, the Eating Awareness Scale, and the Behavioral Pediatric Feeding Assessment Scale and performing anthropometric measurements. After the education program, the eating awareness mean score of the mothers in the intervention group was higher than the control group; however, the increase was not statistically significant (p> 0.05). Prior to the education, the mean behavioral pediatric feeding assessment scale score of the intervention group was higher than that of the control group (p>0.05). There was no significant difference in Body Mass Index (BMI) of the mothers in the intervention and control groups (p> 0.05). In line with the results obtained from this pilot study, it is recommended to increase the effectiveness of education by integrating programs containing web-based, game-supported applications into education as well as nutrition education.

Dental caries and anthropometrics of children living in an informal floating Amazonian community: a cross-sectional pilot study.

Increasing evidence supports a relationship between poor oral health and growth in children. Our objective was to assess the association between the presence of dental caries and anthropometric measurements of children residing in Claverito, a floating slum community in the Peruvian Amazon. For this cross-sectional study, presence of caries was assessed using dmft/DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth) scores and the SiC Index (mean dmft/DMFT of one-third of the study group with the highest caries score). Anthropometric categories for age-sex-specific z-scores for height and weight were calculated based on WHO standardized procedures and definitions. The association between SiC (measured by dmft/DMFT) and anthropometric measures was estimated using unadjusted and adjusted multivariable linear regression models. Critical value was established at 5%. Our study population consisted of 67 children between the ages of 1 and 18 years old. Mean age was 9.5 years old (SD: 4.5), and the majority were female (52.2%). Almost all had dental caries (97.0%) and the mean dmft/DMFT score was 7.2 (SD: 4.7). The SiC Index of this population was 9.0. After adjusting for confounding variables, participants who had permanent dentition with the highest dmft/DMFT levels had statistically significant decreased height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) (p=0.04). We found an inverse linear association between SiC Index and height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) among children living in poverty in a floating Amazonian community in Peru. Children from under-resourced communities, like floating slums, are at high risk for oral disease possibly negatively impacting their growth and development.

Effect of nutritional intervention on anthropometric measurements of malnourished children at Nutritional Rehabilitation Center, Civil Hospital Ahmedabad under "Mission Balam Sukham" scheme.

Context:In Gujarat, 39.7% of children are underweight and 10.6% are severely wasted in under five years of age. Nutritional rehabilitation centers started by the Government of Gujarat under the “Mission Balam Sukham” program focused at providing an energy-dense diet and protein along with other nutrients to combat malnutrition in children by hospital admission.Aim:To estimate the effect of nutritional intervention on Anthropometric measurements of malnourished children at Nutritional Rehabilitation Center (NRC), Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad.Settings and Design:A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the NRC of B. J. Medical College, Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.Methods and Material:It was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted at NRC, Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad from January 2017 till December 2017 (1-year duration). A total of 159 children, 0–5 years were admitted in NRC during this period and observed during their stay with three follow-up visits.Statistical Analysis Used:Z-test, one-way ANOVA on repeated measures test.Results:The majority of the admitted children were in the age group of 12–23 months. Overall mean weight at admission was 6.1 ± 1.7 Kg. The increase in mean weight at discharge was 6.5 ± 1.9 Kg. The mean weight on the third follow-up was 7.4 ± 1.9 Kg. Nearly 62.3% of severely malnourished children had improvement (cured) after treatment that was given during NRC admission.Conclusions:The present study confirmed the effectiveness of nutrition rehabilitation centers in the management of severe acute malnutrition.

INFLUENCE OF GLYCEMIC CONTROL AND BODY COMPOSITION ON IRISIN LEVELS IN CHILDREN WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES MELLITUS.

We investigated the relationship between irisin concentrations and glycemic control, body composition and anthropometric measures in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The study involved 40 subjects with T1DM prospectively. Glycemic control was evaluated. Body composition was analyzed with a bioimpedance analyzer (BIA). Serum irisin concentrations were measured using an ELISA kit. Irisin levels were found higher in BMI <17 kg/m2 group (p=0.002) compared to BMI >17 kg/m2. Irisin level was negatively correlated with weight, height, BMI, fat free mass, skeletelal muscle mass, basal metabolic rate (r= -0.40, p= 0.011; r=-0.32, p=0.046; r=-0.366, p= 0.022; r=-0.423, p= 0.007; r=-0.430, p=0.006; r=-0.416, p=0.009, respectively); there was a strong correlation between LDL-C and irisin levels (r=0.367, p=0.02). In multivariate linear regression analyses model, irisin concentrations were correlated with weight (ß-coefficient= - 0.391, p= 0.015). LDL-C is associated, but not correlated significantly with irisin levels, (ß-coefficient =0.272, p=0.084). As a result, weight and LDL-C were the predictors of circulating irisin. To our knowledge, this study is the first examining association between irisin levels and body composition comprehensively, in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Impact of maternal depression and social factors on child’s nutritional status: a case–control study in Egypt

Background Malnutrition is a primary cause of child morbidity. Maternal depression affects children’s health, especially nutrition.Aim This study aimed to explore the effects of maternal depression and social factors on children’s nutrition.Patients and methods A case–control study was carried out on 100 children and their mothers: 50 malnourished children and 50 age-matched and sex-matched healthy-control children. Anthropometric measurements of children were done and transformed into weight-for-age and weight-for-height Z-scores. Screening of depression in mothers was done using Symptom’s Checklist 90-Revised (SCL90-R) Depression dimension. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess maternal cognitive functions.Results Thirty-eight percent mothers of malnourished children were depressed compared with 12% mothers of healthy children. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Statistically significant differences were found regarding maternal age at marriage, education, working status, crowding index, and family income between groups (P<0.01). Mothers of malnourished children had cognitive impairment than controls (P<0.001). The Z-score of malnourished children was positively correlated with breastfeeding duration, maternal age at marriage, education, working status, family income, and other social parameters; and negatively correlated with crowding index and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) morbidity, indicating that malnutrition increases with short duration of breastfeeding, younger maternal age at marriage, low education, bad working status, low income, and high crowding index.Conclusions Mothers of malnourished children have more depressive symptoms and impaired cognitive functions than the controls. Maternal age at marriage, education, family income, and crowding index are predictive variables affecting children nutrition.

Factors Associated With Underweights Among Children of 6-59 Months Age in Miesso District, Oromia, Ethiopia

Children are most exposed to under nourishment because of high dietary requirements for their growth and development. The present study was aimed to determine the prevalence of underweight children in age group of 6–59 months in Meisso district, Oromia (Ethiopia) and identify the associated factors responsible for it. A community based cross sectional study was conducted on 296 children. The data was collected by using a well-structured pretested questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements of children were taken to assess their nutritional status. Generalized ordered logit model, proportional odds model and partial proportional odds model were compared and finally the partial proportional odds model was taken as the best model for current study to identify the factors associated with the nutritional status of children. The study showed that underweight was a serious problem in Miesso district with the prevalence of severe underweight as 24.0% and those of mild underweight as 26.7% The predictors significantly related to the child nutritional status were sex, age, household’s food security status and the toilet using status of family, since the child malnutrition in the district was very highly prevalent continuous nutrition supervision and special attention to severely malnourished children is necessary to overcome malnutrition problem.

Nutritional status and growth centiles using anthropometric measures of school-aged children and adolescents from Multan district

BackgroundNutritional status among children and adolescents is assessed using growth rates. The aim of this study was to assess age- and gender-specific height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) centiles among children and adolescents relative to World Health Organization (WHO) references. MethodsA sample of 1040 school-aged children and adolescents aged 3–18 years from Multan District in Pakistan were selected for the study between January and March 2020. Multistage stratified random sampling was used for sample selection. Centile curves of height, weight, and BMI for age and gender were obtained using the lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method, and results were compared with WHO 2007 references. ResultsFor boys and girls, the average height was 137.37 ± 8.24 and 135.62 ± 9.64 cm, average weight was 36.32 ± 6.84 and 35.21 ± 7.27 kg, and average BMI was 18.44 ± 2.67 and 18.36 ± 2.91, respectively. The height centiles of boys were higher than the WHO reference, and during the prepubertal period (age 8 years or older) the centiles were lower than the WHO reference. The height centiles of girls were higher than the WHO reference, and during the pubertal period (age 10 years or older) the centiles were lower than the WHO reference. The gender-wise BMI centiles were higher compared to the WHO reference. ConclusionThe prevalence of thinness, overweight, and obesity in boys and girls was significantly higher than the WHO reference. The results of this study on centiles are up-to-date and will be used as a standard for comparison.

Foot Print Analysis and Prevalence of Flat Foot among Children of Rural India – A Study Protocol

Introduction: Foot shape and its proportions changes gradually during normal growth of human beings, but the mechanical stresses during bipedal locomotion are a key factor for development of foot. To sustain static position and to arrange for stable base while performing various functional activities, Foot plays major role in it. Deformities in lower extremities of children’s are being very common. As this conditions are physiological, that’s why most of the time this conditions do not require treatment. In an average 90% of patient who are visiting to clinic for foot problem are flat foot. Primary manifestation of flat foot is decreasing in longitudinal arch, which shows that while standing or walking, there is transmission of whole body weight towards the medial side of foot sole. This is the main reason for which flat foot is considered as problem of static alignment of foot and ankle structure.&#x0D; Objective: To analyze footprint of children and to determine prevalence of flat foot, their anthropometric measurement, Prevalence of structural pathologies of foot and correction of foot prints and radiological evaluation of 8 – 13 years age group of children.&#x0D; Methodology: All the visiting patients of orthopedic department of AVBRH of age group 8 – 13 year, with sample size. Examination will be done along with radiological examination, radiological assessment and different anthropometric will include Plain X-ray of both feet.&#x0D; Results: We expect that, anthropometric measurements of rural children may differ from other literatures.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among school children and parents: a cross-sectional study.

Obesity, a complex and multifactorial disease causing severe health problems, is still the second most important cause of preventable deaths after smoking. Another risk is that childhood obesity is associated with overweight and obesity in adulthood. This study provides information on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in primary school students and their parents on location (rural v urban) and gender. In this population-based, cross-sectional study, the anthropometric and demographic data of 9786 children and 6855 parents were analyzed. The study was conducted between 1 October 2016 and 30 November 2016 on a sample representing all public and private primary school students aged 6-10 years in Samsun province, Turkey. The multi-stage stratified sampling method was used in selecting the research sample according to the number of district students, the number of public/private primary school students, and the number of rural/urban students. In the BMI values classification, cut-off points in the age- and gender-specific growth charts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were used for students, and the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs were used for parents or guardians. After the data acquisition was completed, a questionnaire form developed by the researchers was sent to the parents through the students. While children's anthropometric measurements were performed in their classrooms, parents or guardians self-reported their weight and height. Statistical Package for the social Sciences v22.0 was used for statistical analysis of the data. The study group consisted of 5005 (51.1%) boys and 4781 (48.9%) girls. The 6855 parents comprised 5258 (76.7%) mothers and 1597 (23.3%) fathers. The mean age was 8.2&plusmn;1.2 years in children and 36.2&plusmn;6.7 years in parents. Obesity prevalence was 10.5% in children and 20.2% in their parents. Childhood obesity was more prevalent in boys and in those living in urban areas (12.0% and 12.3%, respectively) than in girls and in those living in rural areas (9.0% and 4.5%, respectively). Conversely, adulthood obesity was more frequent in females and in those living in rural areas (20.4% and 21.8%, respectively) than in males and in those living in urban areas (19.7% and 20.4%, respectively). BMI values were higher among those of male gender and those living in rural areas. Combating obesity requires further multidisciplinary research to reveal the reasons for the differences based on place and gender, especially on nutrition and healthy lifestyle behaviors.

Hypertensive Disorders during Pregnancy and Anthropometric Measurement of Children up to 7 Years of Age: The Hokkaido Birth Cohort Study in Japan.

Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy (HDP) increase the risk of offspring with a low birth weight, preterm birth and small-for-gestational age; however, evidence of the anthropometric measurements during early childhood remains limited. We aimed to understand the associations between maternal HDP and anthropometric measurements of children aged up to seven years in a Japanese cohort. In total, 20,926 mother–infant pairs participated in the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children’s Health, Japan, from 2002 to 2013. Medical reports were used to confirm HDP exposure, while weight, height, height z score, and weight z score were the outcomes. The prevalence of HDP in the study population was 1.7%. The birth height of male children born to HDP mothers was smaller as compared to those born to non-HDP mothers. When adjusted with covariates, the linear regressions showed significant changes in birth weight (β: −79.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −154.8, −3.8), birth height (−0.67; 95% CI: −1.07, −0.26), weight at seven years (1.21; 95% CI: 0.13, 2.29), and weight gain between four and seven years (1.12; 95% CI: 0.28, 1.96) of male children exposed to HDP. Differences were more significant in male children than female. Our study showed that despite low birth weight, male children exposed to HDP caught up with their growth and gained more weight by seven years of age compared with male children not exposed to HDP, whereas no such differences were observed in female children; however, this finding requires replication.

Agricultural Production Diversity and Child Nutritional Outcomes in Rural Myanmar

This paper empirically investigates the links between agricultural diversity and child nutritional status in rural Myanmar. The data for this analysis come from a two-round survey of households conducted in six rural townships in Myanmar between February 2016 and November 2017. Using the child anthropometric measures haz, whz, waz, stunting, and underweight, our results show that child nutritional status worsened between 2016 and 2017. Our empirical results show that greater agricultural production diversity was associated with poorer anthropometric outcomes among young children aged between 6 and 35 months. Home garden ownership is statistically significant and positively associated with younger children’s anthropometric outcomes, whilst migration is negatively associated with wasting and underweight probability of older children. Livelihood diversification through migration is an important channel to address child undernutrition in our study areas in rural Myanmar, particularly in the long term when children grow older.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PICKY EATING AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

AbstractBackground : Picky eating is a condition when children refuse to eat certain foods. Picky eating usually stops within 2 years as part of the growth process, those who stop picky eating after more than 2 years tend to be more difficult to accept new types of food. This may be unfavorable for a child's growth and nutritional status. The study was conducted to analyze the relationship between picky eating with nutritional status in preschool children. Method : This research method was observational analytic quantitative with cross sectional research design. Sampling used a total sampling technique. Data was collected in 3 preschool in October 2019 using primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire given to parents to measure picky eating used Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). Nutritional status was measured bytaking anthropometric measurements of children. Data analysis used fisher exact correlation tests. Results : The results obtained a sample of 78 respondents from 3 preschool. The average age of children was 48,37 months with a median was 49,00. The result showed 62,8% of children were female, 55,1% were second or more children, 88,5% had routine growth monitoring, 53,8% were in extended families, and 73,1% of children were taken care by their parents. The prevalence of children with picky eating was 70,5%. Nutritional status measurements found 1.3% of children included in underweight category and 83,3% normal. Results of the analysis of the relationship between picky eating and nutritional status showed p value = 0,819. Conclusion : There was no relationship between picky eating with nutritional status in preschool children.

Caregivers' Knowledge and Food Accessibility Contributes to Childhood Malnutrition: A Case Study of Dora Nginza Hospital, South Africa.

Amongst the problems facing South Africa today are malnutrition and food insecurity, and there is a need for interventions and innovative strategies to address these. The aim of the study was to determine the contribution of caregivers’ knowledge of nutrition and household food security among children aged 0 to 60 months. A cross-sectional study design was applied using a quantitative approach. A convenience sample (n = 184) of caregiver–child pairs (for children 0 to 60 months) from the Dora Nginza Hospital Paediatric Outpatient Department was used. A structured questionnaire was applied to collect data on socio-economic factors, health status, household food security, and caregivers’ knowledge. In addition, interviews were conducted, and anthropometric measurements of children were taken to determine their nutritional status. The results indicate that most caregivers were female, and more than half completed high school, yet almost 75% were unemployed. Most of the caregivers (58.2%) were either overweight or obese. The results also show that only 33.2% of households were food secure, 29.3% were at risk of hunger, and 37.5% experienced hunger. The prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting among children in the study was high. A significant, slightly positive correlation was found between the body mass index of the caregiver and height for age. Poor socio-economic status and food inaccessibility were identified as possible underlying contributing factors to malnutrition, contributing to food insecurity and therefore poor dietary intake.

Head Circumference as An Indicator of Nutritional Status in Critically Ill Children under 2 Years of Age

Many clinical, biochemical, and anthropometric factors have been used to determine the nutritional status of critically ill children. One of the most commonly used anthropometric measurements in children is the head circumference. It is used to assess their development, and in some instances, can be an indicator of chronic malnutrition. We aim to study the association between head circumference and the nutritional status of critically ill children under 2 years old. We retrospectively obtained the head circumference measurements of 142 patients between 30 days and 2 years of age in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and calculated their head circumference percentile-for-age based on CDC growth charts. We compared the head circumference percentiles to their nutritional status as determined by the Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment (SGNA) tool using the Mann-Whitney test. The median head circumference percentile was 9.5 (IQR 1.1-33.5) in patients with malnutrition and 54 (IQR 29.7-81.7) in patients with normal nutritional status (P &lt; 0.001). There was no significant association between nutritional status and other possible confounders such as prematurity, age at admission, sex, and race by multivariate analysis. We found that critically ill patients with chronic malnutrition had significantly smaller head circumference than those with a normal nutritional status. However, it would be necessary to conduct a larger study in order to confidently determine a cutoff point for head circumference percentile that can be used to detect malnutrition in the PICU.

Maternal plasma choline and betaine in late pregnancy and child growth up to age 8 years in the KOALA Birth Cohort Study

ABSTRACTBackgroundSufficient choline and betaine during pregnancy are needed for fetal growth and development.ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the associations between maternal plasma choline and betaine in the third trimester of pregnancy and child growth from birth up to 8 years of age.MethodsConcentrations of choline and betaine were measured in plasma of 1331 pregnant women from the KOALA (Kind, Ouders en gezondheid: Aandacht voor Leefstijl en Aanleg) Birth Cohort Study in the Netherlands. Child weight and height were measured at birth and at 1 (91% complete), 2 (86%), and 6–8 y (76%). Birth weight, weight gain in the first year, and z scores for weight and height at 1 and 2 y were used as continuous outcome variables. BMI z scores at 1 and 2 y were used as continuous and dichotomous outcomes, and BMI z scores at age 6–8 y were used to study overweight at that age.ResultsEach 1-µmol/L increase of maternal plasma choline was associated with a mean 20-g (95% CI: 1.1, 38.0 g) higher weight gain in the first year of life, and a higher BMI z score (β: 0.02; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.04) and slightly higher odds of BMI z score >85th percentile (OR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.10) at 1–2 y. Each 1-µmol/L increase of plasma betaine was associated with a mean 12-g (95% CI: 0.8, 23.9 g) higher weight gain in the first year of life and higher odds of BMI z score >85th percentile at 1–2 y (OR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.07). Lastly, betaine was associated with overweight at 6–8 y (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.34), only in boys.ConclusionsThird-trimester pregnancy plasma choline and betaine were positively associated with childhood anthropometric measures. In boys, some of the associations may have persisted up to 8 y of age. Further studies may investigate the validity of maternal plasma choline and betaine concentrations as markers of maternal intake and fetal transfer.