Detailed assessment of nutritional status and eating patterns in children with gastrointestinal diseases attending an outpatients clinic and contemporary healthy controls

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In the era of modern multidisciplinary clinical management, very little is known about the prevalence and presentation of malnutrition in children with gastrointestinal disorders (GastroD) particularly employing composite, global measures of nutritional status.
SUBJECTS/METHODS: Anthropometry, body composition, dietary intake, eating habits and grip strength were assessed with bedside methods in 168 patients from outpatient gastroenterology clinics (n, median (IQR) years; Crohn's disease (CD): n=53, 14.2 (11.6:15.4); ulcerative colitis (UC): n=27, 12.2 (10.7:14.2); coeliac disease: n=31, 9.3 (7.5:13.6); other GastroD: n=57, 9.8 (7.2:13.8)) and compared with 62 contemporary healthy controls (n, median (IQR): 9.8 (6.9:13.8)) and the results of the recent UK, National Diet and Nutritional Survey (NDNS).
RESULTS: Children with CD had lower BMI z-scores than controls (median (IQR): -0.3 (-0.9:0.4) vs 0.3 (-0.6:1.4); P=0.02) but only 2% were classified as thin (BMI z-score