title: The relationship between body growth and pulmonary function in children with cystic fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the weight and height of children with cystic fibrosis (CF) from 2 to 10 years of age and to investigate the relationship between these parameters and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) beginning at 6 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Weight and height were expressed as z-scores for weight-for-age (WFA), height-for-age (HFA), height-adjusted-for-target-height (HFA/TH) and weight-for-height (WFH). The children were categorised as having a z-score ≥0, between 0 and -1, or <-1 based on z-scores at 2 years of age. The cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between FEV1 and WFA, HFA, HFA/TH and WFH were determined and the predictive value of these parameters for FEV1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We enrolled 156 CF children. Their mean weight and height were below the average for the healthy population. Both WFA and WFH increased with age (primarily before the age of 6), while the reduction in HFA and HFA/TH persisted. Importantly, the yearly decline in FEV1 was significantly slowed [by 1.8 and 1.9% for each unit increase in WFA and WFH (p < 0.015)] in children who gained weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CF patients aged 2 to 10 years have long-term impaired growth. Nevertheless, weight gain slowed the decline in FEV1 in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Dietetics and, Cystic Fibrosis Centre Utrecht, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Janna W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Woestenenk
authors.forename: Rebecca K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Stellato
authors.forename: Suzanne W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Terheggen-Lagro
authors.forename: Cornelis K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: van der Ent
authors.forename: Roderick H J
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Houwen
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Cystic fibrosis; Growth; Nutritional assessment; Respiratory function tests