We looked at the relationship between linear growth retardation and deficiencies of certain nutrients in Egyptian children. A group of 107 stunted children aged between 10 and 18 years were subjected to history-taking, physical examination and laboratory investigations. Selected cases were referred to radiology for assessment of bone age. Thirty-nine children were enrolled as controls. Serum haemoglobin, alpha-tocopherol, retinol and magnesium levels were significantly decreased in stunted children compared with the controls. Serum zinc levels were also lower in the stunted group but not significantly so. We conclude that several nutrient deficiencies occur simultaneously in stunted children and all of them may be responsible for stunting.

Anthropometry↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Impact of nutritional rehabilitation on enzymatic antioxidant levels in protein energy malnutrition.

To assess the role of enzymatic antioxidants in the pathogenesis of protein energy malnutrition (PEM) and the effect of nutritional rehabilitation, we studied 30 infants with PEM (mean age 10.63 +/- 4.39 months: 10 marasmic; 8 with kwashiorkor; 12 with marasmic kwashiorkor) and 15 controls. All underwent clinical examination and laboratory investigations, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) estimation before and after nutrition rehabilitation. SOD and GPx were significantly lower in all malnourished infants compared to controls, and significantly increased after nutritional rehabilitation. These significant correlations suggest that antioxidants could be introduced during PEM nutritional rehabilitation to decrease morbidity and mortality.

Anthropometry↗