Growth, nutritional status, and signs of rickets in 0–5-year-old children in a Kashin–Beck disease endemic area of Central Tibet

Growth, nutritional status, and signs of rickets in 0–5-year-old children in a Kashin–Beck disease endemic area of Central Tibet

European Journal of Pediatrics, February 2012

22354482

Shancy Rooze, Michèle Dramaix-Wilmet, Françoise Mathieu, Pascale Bally, Dikki Yangzom, Jin Zhong Li, Philippe Goyens

In order to describe the growth of 0-5-year-old Tibetan children living in a Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) endemic rural area and to examine the relationship between anthropometric indicators and clinical signs of rickets, we analyzed the baseline data of a cohort of 668 children enrolled in a prospective program of calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Tibetan children suffer from growth retardation. Z score of weight-for-age, height-for-age, weight-for-height was below -2 in 32.5%, 27.7%, and 12.1% of the children, respectively. Clinical signs of severe rickets are highly prevalent. Underweight, stunting, and clinical rickets increases with age. Prevalence of malnutrition was higher in the presence of signs of rickets. The proportion of children with a head circumference Z score < -2 was lowest when signs of rickets were observed.