BODY COMPOSITION, ENERGY EXPENDITURE, AND DIETARY INTAKES IN A SAMPLE OF CHILDREN WITH FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME
Date
1998-08
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine body composition, energy expenditure, and dietary intakes of a sample of children (n=12) with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), as well as provide information on how nutritional parameters are related to growth. Body composition was determined by height, weight, head circumference, skinfolds, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measurements. Energy expenditure was estimated by indirect calorimetry, to determine resting energy expenditure (REE), as well as the employment of a physical activity questionnaire and predictive equations. Dietary intakes were collected by three twenty-four hour recalls and three-day weighed food records, and the diets were analyzed for nutrient content using Nutritionist IV for Windows (First DataBank, The Hearst Corporation, San Bruno, California). Of the 12 subjects, 4 remained on or below the 10th percentile for height, 8 were below the 10th percentile for weight, and 7 remained on or below the 3rd percentile for head circumference. Percent body fat determined from skinfolds were compared to healthy populations of children of the same sex and Tanner stages with all group mean z-scores being negative. Bioelectrical impedance predictive equations developed for children were found to be inappropriate for this clinical population. No significant differences were found between measured REE and REE predicted from equations based on age, sex, weight, and height (p>0.05). Dietary intakes collected using the twenty-four hour recall method were determined to be adequate for all nutrients analyzed by Nutritionist IV, with the exception of possibly vitamin E which gave a probability estimate of inadequacy of greater than 25%. Dietary intakes determined by the weighed food record method which used a portable tape recording scale were not different from the twenty-four hour recall method, yet the use of the scale was cumbersome for the subjects and their caregivers. This sample of children with FAS continued to show growth deficiencies and low total body fat despite an adequate diet (with the exception of vitamin E) and metabolic rates were similar to that predicted for their age, sex, weight, and height.
Description
Keywords
FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME
Citation
Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Department
Pharmacy and Nutrition