Bioelectrical impedance phase angle and nutritional status in children with intestinal failure on prolonged parenteral nutrition

Victória A Alves; Juliana M Giesta; Vera L Bosa; Helena A S Goldani

doi:10.1016/j.jped.2023.12.006

Bioelectrical impedance phase angle and nutritional status in children with intestinal failure on prolonged parenteral nutrition

J Pediatr (Rio J). 2024 Apr 10:S0021-7557(24)00039-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jped.2023.12.006. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Victória A Alves¹, Juliana M Giesta², Vera L Bosa³, Helena A S Goldani⁴

Affiliations

¹ Post-Graduate Program of Child and Adolescent Health, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: hgoldani@hcpa.edu.br.
² Post-Graduate Program of Child and Adolescent Health, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
³ Department of Nutrition, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
⁴ Post-Graduate Program of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculdade de Medicina, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

PMID: 38614136
DOI: 10.1016/j.jped.2023.12.006

Abstract

Objective: To compare the phase angle (PhA) through bioelectrical impedance (BIA) of children with intestinal failure (IF) using prolonged parenteral nutrition (PN) followed by an Intestinal Rehabilitation Program, with a control group.

Methods: Children under 10 years of age with IF using prolonged PN for >60 days (study group) were included. The control group consisted of healthy children without chronic pathologies, matched by sex and age. Anthropometric parameters evaluated were: weight, height, weight/age z-score (W/A), height/age z-score (H/A), BMI, BMI/A z-score, arm circumference, triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold, mid-arm muscle circumference. BIA parameters were resistance (R), reactance (Xc), and phase angle (PhA).

Results: Twenty-eight children were included in the study group, median (IQR) age was 11 (8-27) months, 53.6 % were male. In the control group, 28 children were included, median (IQR) age was 12.5 (8-24.7) months, 50 % were male. Children from the study group had W/A z-scores and H/A z-scores significantly lower than controls. There was no significant difference between PhA in the study group and controls, [median (IQR) 4.3° (3.8;4.6) vs 4.0° (3.8;5.4) respectively, p = 0.980]. Prematurity was significantly higher in the study group than in the controls, but there was no significant correlation between gestational age at birth and PhA of the children from the study group.

Conclusion: Children with IF using prolonged PN showed lower W/A and H/A compared to the control group, but without significant difference between the PhA of children with IF compared to controls.

Keywords: Bioelectrical impedance; Child; Intestinal failure; Parenteral nutrition; Phase angle; Short bowel syndrome.