The Physical Developmental Characterization of Children with Nutritional Deficiencies and Attributed Specific Categories.

BACKGROUND

There are few studies examining the physical developmental phenotypes of nutritional deficiency diseases (NDDs) among Chinese children aged 1-7 years by anthropometrics and clarifying the specific NDD categories that caused growth faltering.

METHODS

A total of 3054 cases of NDDs in children aged 1-7 years were investigated. The age, height, and weight of children with NDDs were adjusted by using the skewness coefficient-median-coefficient of variation method, and the results were compared with the WHO standardized level. Comparisons of specific categories of NDDs were performed with respect to the age-specific height standardized values (HAZ), the age-specific weight standardized values (WAZ), and the age-specific body mass index standard values (BAZ).

RESULT: The subtypes of NDDs among Chinese children were mainly characterized by single and co-morbid deficiencies. Calcium deficiency, vitamin A deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, and vitamin B deficiency were the main types, accounting for 11.33%, 9.26%, 8.70%, and 6.29% of the total confirmed cases, respectively; protein-energy malnutrition combined with vitamin C deficiency was the most common type of combined nutrient deficiency (5.76%). The HAZ (-0.0002), WAZ (-0.0210), and BAZ (-0.0018) of children aged 1-3 years with NDDs was lower than the WHO standard (0), as were the HAZ (-0.0003), WAZ (-0.0219), and BAZ (-0.0019) of children aged 3-7 years. The anthropometrics of children with NDDs aged 1-7 years showed that the HAZ and BAZ were slightly lower than the WHO average level, whereas the WAZ was significantly different from the WHO average. The co-morbidity of vitamin A deficiency and vitamin D deficiency, calcium deficiency and vitamin C deficiency, vitamin D deficiency and vitamin C deficiency, and iodine deficiency and vitamin C deficiency were associated with the WAZ.

INTERPRETATION: The specific categories of NDDs consist mainly of calcium deficiencies, vitamin A deficiencies, and vitamin D deficiencies. The main signs of growth retardation were low weight and height, which were driven by the specific single and co-morbid micronutrient deficiencies.