Essential fatty acids in the nutrition of severely neurologically disabled children
Child; Female; Humans; Male; Prospective Studies; Mentally Disabled Persons; Dietary Supplements; Case-Control Studies; adolescent; Preschool; disabled children; Fatty Acids; Biological Markers/blood; Child Nutrition; Essential/administration & dosage/blood; Phospholipids/blood
Essential fatty acids (EFA) are important for the normal development and functioning of the brain, retina and immune competent cells. Severely neurologically handicapped children often have feeding difficulties, and the composition of the diet may be critical with respect to an optimal nutrient content. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate if the dietary intakes and serum phospholipid concentrations of EFA were adequate in a group of severely neurologically impaired children in an institution. To achieve this, a prospective study was done. The investigation showed low dietary intakes of both n-6 fatty acids (FA) and n-3 FA. The serum concentrations of total n-6 FA, linoleic acid and 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid) as proportions of the total serum phospholipid FA concentration were initially low. The serum concentrations of 20:3n-9 and 22:5n-6 cholesterol, triacylglycerol, total saturated FA, total monounsaturated FA and apolipoproteins A-I and B were high compared with levels in a reference group of healthy children. Following supplementation with fish oil and soyabean oil, the serum lipid profile approached normal. We conclude that the study children had suboptimal intakes of EFA and that elevated serum concentrations of 20:3n-9 and 22:5n6 were useful serological markers of suboptimal EFA status. Recommended dietary allowances for EFA given as a percentage of energy underestimate EFA requirements in children with a low energy intake. Severely disabled children with feeding difficulties should probably be monitored with serum phospholipid FA measurements or calculation of dietary absolute intakes of EFA.
2000
Hals J; Bjerve KS; Nilsen H; Svalastog AG; Ek J
The British Journal Of Nutrition
2000
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114500000283" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">10.1017/s0007114500000283</a>
Studies on nutrition in severely neurologically disabled children in an institution
Child; Female; Humans; infant; Male; adolescent; Preschool; Nutritional Status; Newborn; Nervous System Diseases/complications; Brain Damage; Energy Intake; Epilepsy/complications; Mental Retardation/complications; Institutionalized; Nutrition Disorders/complications; Asphyxia Neonatorum/complications; Chronic/complications; Ferritin/blood; Growth Disorders/etiology; Hemoglobins/analysis; Selenium/blood; Vitamin D/blood; Vitamin E/blood
Severe neurological handicaps in children are frequently accompanied by growth retardation. We have studied 13 severely neurologically impaired children in an institution to see if their poor growth was related to a low intake of energy and nutrients, if this was reflected in biochemical nutritional parameters, and to modify their diet according to the results. The investigation showed low dietary intakes of energy and of several of the nutrients, with corresponding low Hb values and serum values of ferritin, selenium and vitamins E and D in some of the children. All the children were initially light for age, with catch-up growth after intervention. We conclude that severely disabled children are at high risk for under- and malnutrition, and that this may partly explain the growth retardation in the study group. To avoid the potential detrimental effects of malnutrition, it is important to aim at providing an optimal diet.
1996
Hals J; Ek J; Svalastog AG; Nilsen H
Acta Paediatrica
1996
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.1996.tb13954.x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">10.1111/j.1651-2227.1996.tb13954.x</a>