Evaluation of malnutrition in transfusion-dependent children with beta-thalassemia major

Objective: In patients with thalassemia, factors such as low socioeconomic status, rapid erythrocyte turnover, endocrinopathy, chronic hypoxia, increased nutritional demands, multiple transfusions, and ineffective erythropoiesis may lead to malnutrition. This study aimed to investigate malnutrition and related factors in children with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia major (β-TM). Material and Methods: The research group consisted of the medical records of 81 β-TM patients. Data were created by measuring the patients height (cm), body weight (kg), weight for age, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC, cm), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF, mm) and blood parameters (e.g., hemoglobin, ferritin) before transfusion. Results: The median age of children with β-TM was 8.8 (range, 4.6-13.0) years, 38 (47%) were male and 43 (53%) were female. The frequency of malnutrition among the children was 20.99% (4.94% moderate, 16.05% mild). The median age of those with malnutrition was higher (p=0.003) and the frequency of malnutrition was higher in children with β-TM aged 5 years and over (p=0.034). Children with and without malnutrition were similar in terms of body weight (p=0.074), MUAC (p=0.321), MUAC z-score (p=0.573), TSF (p=0.691), TSF z-score (p=0.846), TSF percentile (p=0.077), ferritin (p=0.945), vitamin B12 (p=0.119), 25-OH Vit D (p=0.995), and hemoglobin (p=0.563). Body mass index (p=0.026) and weight for age (p<0.001) were lower and albumin was higher (p=0.041) in children with malnourishment. Conclusion: Malnutrition in children with transfusion-dependent β-TM is still a common clinical picture that needs to be tackled and prevented.