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

• Published in: Gut and liver Vol. 8; no. 5; pp. 500 - 507
• Main Authors: Song, Seung Min, Kim, Young, Oh, Seak Hee, Kim, Kyung Mo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Gut and Liver 01.09.2014; Gastroenterology Council for Gut and Liver; 거트앤리버 소화기연관학회협의회
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; Body Mass Index; Body Size; Body Weight; Bone Density; Child; Crohn Disease - blood; Crohn Disease - complications; Crohn Disease - diagnosis; Crohn Disease - physiopathology; crohn’s disease; Female; growth disorder; Growth Disorders - complications; Humans; Male; malnutrition; Malnutrition - complications; Nutritional Status; Original; pediatrics; Prevalence; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; 내과학; Republic of Korea; Growth disorder; Pediatrics; Bone density; Malnutrition; Crohn’s disease
• ISSN: 1976-2283; 2005-1212; 2005-1212
• DOI: 10.5009/gnl13183

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. 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. 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. 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.