title: Assessment of Growth and Development in Children With Hepatitis B Positivity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic infections and liver diseases may influence the growth and development of children by leading to malnutrition. In this study, demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements and laboratory findings for children with hepatitis B positivity were analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 43 cases were admitted to our clinic between January 2012 and February 2013 and detected to have HBsAg positivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Malnutrition was detected in 11 cases (25.6%) and obesity in three cases (6.9%). Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were significantly higher in malnourished patients compared to those without malnutrition. The weight to height was significantly higher in patients with positive HBeAg compared to children with negative HBeAg. We found that the weight standard deviation scores (SDS) ratios dropped as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and AST levels increased and height SDS ratios decreased. In addition, body mass index (BMI) decreased as AST and alpha feto protein (AFP) values increased. While a significant relationship was not detected between insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and ALT, a significantly negative correlation was detected between IGFBP-3 and IGF-1 and AST. We found a malnutrition rate of 25.6% in children with HBsAg positivity. We also found that weight and height SDS rates decreased as ALT and AST levels increased. In addition, we detected that BMI decreased as AST and AFP values increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We consider that hepatic inflammation is the factor that affects growth. Monitoring of growth and development during follow-up of children who are detected to have HBsAg positivity would be beneficial to determine the mechanism and causes of growth retardation.
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Harran University School of Medicine, 63100 Sanliurfa, Turkey.
authors: Tugba
authors: T
authors: Sari
authors: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Harran University School of Medicine, 63100 Sanliurfa, Turkey.
authors: Erdal
authors: E
authors: Eren
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Harran University School of Medicine, 63100 Sanliurfa, Turkey.
authors: Suda Tekin
authors: ST
authors: Koruk
keywords: Body height; Body weight; Children; Hepatitis B