title: Beneficial Effect of the Nutritional Support in Children Who Underwent Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate nutritional status in children who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplant compared with a healthy control group. A secondary aim was to utilize mid-upper arm circumference as a measure of nutritional status in these groups of children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study group included 40 children (18 girls, 22 boys) with mean age of 9.2 ± 4.6 years (range, 2-17 y) who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Our control group consisted of 20 healthy children (9 girls, 11 boys). The children were evaluated at admission to the hospital and followed regularly 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after discharge from the hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the study group, 27 of 40 patients (67.5%) received nutritional support during hematopoietic stem cell transplant, with 15 patients (56%) receiving enteral nutrition, 6 (22%) receiving total parenteral nutrition, and 6 (22%) receiving enteral and total parenteral nutrition. Chronic malnutrition rate in the study group was 47.5% on admission to the hospital, with the control group having a rate of 20%. One year after transplant, the rate decreased to 20% in the study group and 5% in the control group. The mid-upper arm circumference was lower in children in the study group versus the control group at the beginning of the study (P < .05). However, there were no significant differences in mid-upper arm circumference measurements between groups at follow-up examinations (P > .05). During follow-up, all anthropometric measurements increased significantly in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Monitoring nutritional status and initiating appropriate nutritional support improved the success of hematopoietic stem cell transplant and provided a more comfortable process during the transplant period. Furthermore, mid-upper arm circumference is a more sensitive, useful, and safer parameter that can be used to measure nutritional status of children who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Pediatric Nutrition and Metabolism, Ankara Children's Hematology-Oncology Hospital.
authors.forename: Nevra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koç
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gündüz
authors.forename: Betül
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tavil
authors.forename: M Fatih
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Azik
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Coşkun
authors.forename: Hülya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yardımcı
authors.forename: Duygu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uçkan
authors.forename: Bahattin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tunç
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total / Q000009:adverse effects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000254:growth & development*