Search

To assess the general and nutritional health of children with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).The National Multicenter Sleep Research Database for 23791 school-age children in grades 1-6 from 9 cities in China was accessed. Children with a specialist diagnosis of ADHD or not (non-ADHD) in 2005 were studied. National anthropometric growth standards for children aged 2-18 years classified children as underweight, wasted, stunted (short stature presumed nutritional), or overweight/obesity. Independent variables were preterm birth, sleep quality and prior disease and ADHD was the dependent variable. Binary logistic regression models were developed along with interaction analyses for associated disorder or disease on overweight/obesity, and stunted.Some 18731 records were analyzed for 808 children with ADHD. The comparative prevalences for ADHD with non-ADHD children were stunted 9.8% vs 5.9% (p0.001) and overweight/ obesity (32.6% vs 29.6%, p=0.002) respectively. ADHD boys were more often underweight (7.5% vs 5.3%, p=0.027), but not in girls. ADHD likelihood Odds Ratios, ORs (with 95%CI) were for premature birth 1.838, (1.393-2.423), allergic diseases 1.915 (1.526-2.399), otitis media 1.54 (1.118- 2.146), tonsillar or adenoid hypertrophy1.662 (1.348-2.050), gastroesophageal reflux 3.008(1.792-1.792-5.049), and sleep disorder 2.201(1.847-2.623) were ADHD risk factors. Only poor sleep quality and ADHD exhibited an interaction for stunted with OR=0.409 (0.233-0.719).Compromised and complex nutritional health in ADHD children challenges clinical nutrition with a range of health problems, albeit coherent with the needed nutritional emphasis in the 'first 1000 days'.

Calprotectin is a calcium- and zinc-binding protein of the S100 family expressed mainly by neutrophils with important extracellular activity. This paper reviews current findings concerning the relationship between faecal calprotectin and intestinal development among children, influencing factors of fecal calprotectin and the implication of faecal calprotectin in the diagnosis, follow-up, assessment of relapses, and response to treatment in pediatric intestinal diseases, such as necrotizing enterocolitis, inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal infection, celiac disease and allergy. Further studies are required to provide insights into the actual role of calprotectin in physiological and pathological processes in pediatrics.

In order to understand the normal physical growth of Chinese children, data of children aged from 0 to 7 years from urban and rural areas of nine Chinese cities in 2005 were analyzed.The original data of height and weight were drawn into growth curves charts by Graphpad Prism 5.0 software according to the different age groups. The children were classified into five age groups: 0-3 months, 4-6 months, 7-12 months, 13-24 months, and 2-7 years.The average birth weight was 3.3 kg and the height averaged 50 cm. The average monthly weight gain was 1.0-1.2 kg and the average monthly increase of height was 4 cm in the 0-3 months group. By 3 months of age, the weight and height averaged 6.6 kg and 62 cm, respectively. In the 4-6 months group, the growth rate was reduced to a half of the 0-3 months group, with an average monthly weight and height gain was 0.5-0.6 kg and 2 cm respectively. The growth rate in the 7-2 months group was a half of the 4-6 months group. By 12 months of age, the weight and height average 9.9 kg and 75 cm, respectively. The average monthly weight and height gain in the 13-24 months group was 0.2 kg and 1 cm respectively, with an average weight and height of 12 kg and 87 cm respectively by 24 months of age. A steady growth was found in the 2-7 years group, with a yearly average weight and height increment of about 2 kg and 7 cm respectively. The formulas for approximate average weight and height in children between 2 and 7 years were as follows: age (yr)*2+8 (kg) (weight); age (yr)*7+75 (cm) (height).The approximate weight and height of normal Chinese children under 7 years of age can be evaluated by the key parameters and formulas above mentioned.