Gut Liver.  2014 Sep;8(5):500-507. 10.5009/gnl13183.

Nutritional Status and Growth in Korean Children with Crohn's Disease: A Single-Center Study

• Song SM
• Kim Y
• Oh SH
• Kim KM

• KMID: 2070060
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5009/gnl13183

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Malnutrition and growth retardation are important issues in treating pediatric Crohn's disease (CD). Thus, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of various nutritional and growth parameters at the time of diagnosis in Korean children with CD.
METHODS
Seventy-one children (<18 years) were enrolled. We analyzed the Z-scores of height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height (WHZ), body mass index for age (BMIZ), bone mineral density for age (BMDZ), and the biochemical markers measured at the time of diagnosis.
RESULTS
At diagnosis, HAZ <-2 was observed in three patients (4%), WHZ <-2 in 20 patients (28%), BMIZ <-2 in 19 patients (27%), and BMDZ <-2 in 11 patients (18%). The HAZ was significantly lower in females and patients with extraintestinal manifestations, and the WHZ and BMIZ were significantly lower in patients with stricturing and penetrating disease. Subnormal serum levels were highly prevalent for hemoglobin, albumin, iron, ferritin, calcium, magnesium, folate, vitamin B12, and zinc. There was a significant correlation between nutritional status, growth retardation, and disease activity.
CONCLUSIONS
Abnormal nutritional status was highly prevalent in Korean children with CD at the time of diagnosis and was associated with the extent, behavior, and activity of the disease.

Keyword

Crohn's disease; Pediatrics; Malnutrition; Growth disorder; Bone density

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Age Factors
Body Mass Index
Body Size
Body Weight
Bone Density
Child
Crohn Disease/blood/*complications/diagnosis/physiopathology
Female
Growth Disorders/complications
Humans
Male
Malnutrition/complications
Nutritional Status
Prevalence
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Retrospective Studies