title: Impact of malnutrition on cardiac autonomic modulation in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the autonomic behavior between malnourished children and a control group using analysis of heart rate variability (HRV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were analyzed from 70 children who were divided into two groups: malnourished and eutrophic, according to the Z-score nutritional status for height and age. For analysis of HRV indices, heart rate was recorded beat to beat with the child in the supine position for 20min. The analysis of these indices was performed using linear methods, analyzed in the time and frequency domains. Student's t-test for unpaired data and the Mann-Whitney test were used to compare variables between groups, with a significance level of 5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and an increase in heart rate were found in malnourished children compared to eutrophic children. The HRV indices suggested that malnourished children present reductions in both sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous system activity. The SDNN, rMSSD, NN50, pNN50, SD1, SD2, TINN, LF (ms2), and HF (ms2) indices were lower in malnourished children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malnourished children present changes in cardiac autonomic modulation, characterized by reductions in both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, as well as increased heart rate and decreased blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. Electronic address: glauciasiqueirabarreto@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gláucia Siqueira Carvalho
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Departamento de Fisioterapia, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Franciele Marques
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Vanderlei
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Departamento de Fisioterapia, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos Marques
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Vanderlei
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Álvaro Jorge Madeiro
authors.initials: ÁJ
authors.lastname: Leite
mesh_terms: D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Child health; Desnutrição; Frequência cardíaca; Heart rate; Heart rate variability; Malnutrition; Saúde da criança; Sistema nervoso autônomo; Variabilidade da frequência cardíaca