Assessment of the nutritional status of children with special needs in Alexandria. Part II: Anthropometric measures

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the nutritional status of children with special needs in Alexandria city, on the basis of anthropometric measures. The following variables were determined in a sample of 278 disabled children (171 males, 107 females) aged 6 to 24 years, recruited from five specialized day care centers for retarded children in Alexandria: birth order, type of disability, socioeconomic status, body weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and hemoglobin level. Mentally retarded children represent the highest proportion of subjects followed by Down's syndrome and autism. There is an increase in the mean body weight of males with the increase in age among the three type of disability except at age from 14 to 18 years, while there is a fluctuation in the mean body weight between ages and disability among females. Down syndrome groups at all ages are shorter than the other groups, while disabled males are taller than females at all ages. Based on BMI for age, the incidence of obesity was higher among Down's syndrome and mentally retarded females and among autistic males (19.8%, 16.1% of males versus 15.8%, 6.7% of females with mental retardation and autism were underweight). Majority of subjects have mild degree anemia. Hemoglobin levels below the cut-off levels issued by WHO were found higher among autistic and mentally retarded females. The levels were comparable among males with autism and mental retardation and among Down's syndrome males and females. The results also revealed that underweight, overweight and obesity were more common in subjects who showed an evidence of anemia.