title: Growth assessment of paediatric patients with CF comparing different auxologic indicators: A multicentre Italian study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate growth in Italian patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicentre cross-sectional study was carried out on patients with CF attending Italian reference centres. Anthropometric data were evaluated using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000 reference data. Nutritional failure was defined as height-for-age percentile (HAP) <5th (all patients); weight-for-length percentile (WLP) <10th (patients <2 years); body mass index percentile (BMIp) <15th (patients between 2 and 18 years). The risk of malnutrition (defined as HAP, WLP, and BMIp <25th) and the proportion of patients below the "BMIp goal" (BMIp > or =50th) were also evaluated. Nutritional status was evaluated in the whole population and in relation to age, sex, pancreatic insufficiency, meconium ileus, and lung function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 892 patients with CF (50.7% males, mean age 9.2 years, range 0.1-18 years) were enrolled. The proportion of children with HAP <5th, WLP<10th and BMIp<15th was 12.2%. 12.9%, 20.9%, respectively, and 54.4% did not fulfill the BMIp > or =50th goal. HAP <25th identified the highest proportion of children at risk of malnutrition, whereas BMIp <15th identified the highest proportion of children with nutritional failure. Whatever the criterion used to define malnutrition, the highest proportion of children with nutritional failure was found in adolescence (11-18 years). z scores for height, weight, and BMI were significantly associated with pancreatic status and lung function. Differences among centres for the auxologic parameters were not significant, except for BMIp.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nutritional failure is present in a minority of Italian patients with CF, particularly during adolescence. Different auxologic indicators should be used for identifying children at risk for or with actual malnutrition.
authors: Fondazione IRCCS, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy.
authors: Vincenzina
authors: V
authors: Lucidi
authors: Federico
authors: F
authors: Alghisi
authors: Valeria
authors: V
authors: Raia
authors: Beatrice
authors: B
authors: Russo
authors: Lauretta
authors: L
authors: Valmarana
authors: Rossella
authors: R
authors: Valmarana
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Coruzzo
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Beschi
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Dester
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Rinaldi
authors: Marica
authors: M
authors: Maglieri
authors: Maria L
authors: ML
authors: Guidotti
authors: Emanuela
authors: E
authors: Ravaioli
authors: Marisa
authors: M
authors: Pesola
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: De Alessandri
authors: Rita
authors: R
authors: Padoan
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Grynzich
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Ratclif
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Repetto
authors: Maura
authors: M
authors: Ambroni
authors: Ettore
authors: E
authors: Provenzano
authors: Alberto E
authors: AE
authors: Tozzi
authors: Carla
authors: C
authors: Colombo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk