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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1493502

Association of Age to Nutritional Status and Muscle Mass in Children with Transfusion-Dependent β-Thalassemia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Provisionally accepted
Li Wang Li Wang Yanlan Yang Yanlan Yang Luyang Zhang Luyang Zhang Yuan Luo Yuan Luo Lei Wang Lei Wang SANDIP PATIL SANDIP PATIL *
  • Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT) is a hereditary blood disorder that often leads to complications affecting growth, nutritional status, and muscle mass in children. This study aims to investigate the associations between age, nutritional status, and muscle mass in children with TDT, providing insights into the progressive impact of age on these parameters. Methods: 122 children with TDT from March 2023 to March 2024 were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Their nutritional status was assessed using the 2006-2007 World Health Organization (WHO) Growth Charts, and their muscle mass was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Data related to age, gender, weight, height, fat-free mass (FFM), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), and soft lean mass (SLM) of children were collected for comparative analysis from the hospital record room. Furthermore, Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and regression analyses were utilized to investigate the associations between age and both nutritional status and muscle mass. Results: The results of this study revealed negative correlations between age and wasting (r=-0.26, p<0.001), stunting (r=-0.28, p<0.001), FFM (r=-0.3, p<0.001), SMM (r=-0.23, p<0.01), and SLM (r=-0.36, p<0.001). The regression analysis indicated that age was an independent predictor of wasting, stunting, and reduced muscle mass in these children (all p<0.001).Our study observed a trend of worsening stunting, wasting, and muscle loss in children with TDT as they age. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring both nutritional and muscular health in TDT patients. Early detection and comprehensive nutritional management may improve outcomes in this population.

    Keywords: β-thalassemia, Transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia, age, nutrition, Muscles, Children

    Received: 09 Sep 2024; Accepted: 16 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Yang, Zhang, Luo, Wang and PATIL. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: SANDIP PATIL, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.