Article

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of gastrostomy tube
feeding on body protein and bone mineralization in malnourished children with
cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD: Children aged between 4 and 18 years with spastic
quadriplegic CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System level V) were
recruited from the Children's Hospital at Westmead to participate in this
prospective cohort study. The children had measurements of anthropometry (weight,
height, and skinfold), bone mineral content (BMC) by dual-energy X-ray
absorptiometry, and total body protein (TBP) by neutron activation analysis
before and after gastrostomy tube feeding. Comparison data were collected
prospectively from age-matched healthy children and extracted from databases for
this study. RESULTS: A total of 21 children (nine females, 12 males) participated
in the study (median age 8 y 5 mo; interquartile range [IQR] 6 y 9 mo-11 y 10
mo). The median length of time of gastrostomy feeding was 19.4 months (IQR
7.7-29.9 mo). Significant (p<0.05) improvements were found in the median values
for weight (15.4-23.3 kg), weight standard deviation scores
(SDS; -4.8 to -3.0),
height (105.4-118.3 cm), per cent body fat (10.7-16.3), TBP (2.4-3.4 kg), TBP per
cent predicted for height (83.4-99.0), and BMC (469-626 g). No significant
increases were found in height SDS, TBP per cent predicted for age, or BMC SDS
for age or height. INTERPRETATION: Malnourished children with quadriplegic CP
showed significant increases in body fat and protein with gastrostomy tube
feeding. No significant change in bone mineralization predicted for age or height
was observed.
CI - (c) The Authors. Journal compilation (c) Mac Keith Press 2010.

Langue : ANGLAIS