P1013 - NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN WITH THALASSAEMIA MAJOR ATTENDING THE THALASSAEMIA WARDS AT COLOMBO NORTH AND KURUNEGALA TEACHING HOSPITALS IN SRI LANKA

P1013

NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN WITH THALASSAEMIA MAJOR ATTENDING THE THALASSAEMIA WARDS AT COLOMBO NORTH AND KURUNEGALA TEACHING HOSPITALS IN SRI LANKA

K. M. S. N. K. Peiris^1,*

¹Clinical Nutrition, Teaching Hospital Anuradhapuraa, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Rationale: Nutritional status is an essential determinant of thalassaemic children’s therapeutic goals & quality of life.This study is aimed to estimate proportion of thalassaemia major children experiencing malnutrition, their dietary intake pattern relation to major food groups.

Methods: Cross sectional observational study was conducted among 96 beta thalassemia major children age between 5 to 18 years for 3 months. Anthropometric measurements were taken, and nutritional status of the children was categorized based on body mass index(BMI) and height for age Z-scores based on World Health Organization growth charts.Food consumption was assessed using two 24-hour diet recalls on two non-consecutive weekdays.Prevalence rates of thinness, stunting, and other nutritional status were expressed with 95% confidence interval.

Results: BMI for age & height for age both were significantly low when compared to the age & sex based on WHO growth charts. Prevalence of thinness was 40.6% & stunting was 41.6%. Notably, there are no cases of obesity or overweight among the children in any of the gender categories.

According to the Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG), thalassemia children’s cereals consumption is within or above recommendations. Vegetable intake is less than the recommendation. Fruit intake is critically low. Animal protein (Meat/fish/egg) consumption is within recommendations. Pulse’s intake is also within recommendations and dairy intake is below recommendations.

Conclusion: Findings of this study stress the need for integrated care approaches involving medical care and optimum nutritional support to improve nutritional status aiming to achieve therapeutic goals and quality of life in thalassaemic children.

Disclosure of Interest: K. M. Peiris Other: I declare that I have no conflicts of interest related to this study