Objectives
This study aimed to test use of portable ultrasound technology to determine bone age in rural Ecuadorian children and investigate its association with anthropometry and dietary intakes.
Methods
Children ages 2–3 years (n = 129) from Cotopaxi Province participated in Lulun Project II, a cohort follow-up to the Lulun Project, an RCT testing the efficacy of egg intervention in complementary feeding. Data collection, including targeted ultrasounds of the hand and wrist, was undertaken in participant households. Anthropometric measures were taken using international protocols and Z scores generated with WHO Growth Standards.
Results
Mean bone age z-score (BAZ) was -1.5 (± 1.2); -0.9 (± 1.0) among girls and -2.0 (± 1.2) among boys. Bone age z-scores were positively correlated with HAZ (r = 0.35, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with BMI z-scores (r = -0.27, P = 0.002), but no association between bone age and WAZ was observed. Linear regression modeling demonstrated that HAZ (0.374 95% CI 0.174–0.574), female sex of the child (0.573 95% CI 0.214–0.932), 24-hour frequency of intake for savory snacks (0.290 95% CI 0.028–0.552), child taken to healthcare facility in previous 3 mo (-0.664, 95%CI -1.160, -0.167), ownership of pigs (-0.506, 95% CI -0.863, -0.148), and cultivation of cash crops (0.466, 95% CI 0.062, 0.870) significantly predicted BAZ.
Conclusions
Bone age in young children may be feasibly collected in a low-resource setting using portable ultrasound technology. As it highly correlates with HAZ and other diet anthropometric parameters, it prove to be an important tool in the evaluation of children's nutritional status.
Funding Sources
The Mathile Institute for the Advancement of Human Nutrition.
Introduction:
Arteriopathy is a leading cause of pediatric stroke. Cerebral arteriopathies may be diffuse, such as in radiation or moyamoya arteriopathies, limiting contralateral normal comparisons. Normative data for comparison and identification of diffuse arteriopathy is not currently available. Cerebral blood flow has been shown to vary based on age and sex; therefore, we aimed to determine potential age- and sex-related differences in cerebral artery size.
Method:
Healthy children and young adults aged 4 - 40 years were recruited to undergo 3D time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Motion-degraded studies were excluded. The mean diameters of segments of the internal carotid artery (ICA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), anterior cerebral artery (ACA), basilar artery (BA) and ophthalmic artery (OA) were manually determined using a double-oblique technique. Mixed model regression of vessel diameters determined significance of age and sex.
Results:
MRAs of 22 children (ages 4-21 years; 12 male) and 13 adults (ages 22-38 years; 9 male) were analyzed. On mixed model regression, younger participants maintained larger diameters for ICA (p=0.03), MCA (p<0.001), ACA (p<0.001) and BA (all p=0.007) without difference between sexes. OA diameter did not differ with regards to age or sex.
Conclusion:
Normal cerebral artery size in vessels contributing to brain perfusion is largest in younger children and diminishes with age, likely reflecting higher cerebral blood flows observed in younger children. Age-specific normative data is needed to identify diffuse cerebral arteriopathy in children and young adults.
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