Dietary Nutrient Intake and Blood Micronutrient Status of Children with Crohn’s Disease Compared with Their Shared-Home Environment, Healthy Siblings

Abstract

(1) The nutritional status of children with Crohn’s disease (CD) is rarely described. This study aimed to assess the dietary intake and blood micronutrient status of children with CD compared with their healthy, shared-environment siblings. (2) Methods: This observational study included children with CD (cases) and their shared-environment siblings (controls). The dietary nutrient intake was assessed with a four-day food/beverage diary and was compared with the recommended daily intakes (RDI). Blood micronutrient concentrations were measured using laboratory methods. The nutritional analyses were completed through a multivariate analysis of variance between groups. Between-group comparisons of single-nutrients were assessed using a Mann–Whitney U-test. Chi-squared analyses compared the proportion of children who did not meet the RDI for each nutrient. The results were significant at 0.05. (3) Results: The dietary intake was similar for most nutrients, except the controls had a lower intake of vitamins A and E, copper, zinc, iron, and selenium (p < 0.05). Children using partial enteral nutrition had significantly higher intakes of many micronutrients. It was common for both groups to not meet the RDI’s—more than 50% of cases for 9 nutrients and more than 50% of controls for 13 nutrients. (4) Conclusion: New Zealand children with CD and their shared-environment siblings did not meet the RDI for several micronutrients. Dietary education and/or micronutrient supplementation may be required.

Micronutrients deficiency among ulcerative colitis patients

“…Zinc promotes intestinal barrier integrity, accelerates DNA synthesis and protein, and backtains several enzyme's catalytic activities [22]. Copper is a protein electron transport and enzyme cofactor that are necessary for oxidative phosphorylation, neurotransmitters, and iron transport [23]. Among UC patients, the most common systemic consequences caused by iron deficiency are cell proliferation and synthesis of impaired lymphocyte cytokine [24].…”

Advances in Nutrition in Pediatric Gastroenterology

“…Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which may present at any age during childhood, is commonly associated with malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency. Brown et al [4] reported the findings of a case-control study involving children with IBD and their siblings without IBD living in the same household. The evaluation of dietary intakes and serum levels of key micronutrients demonstrated that many of these children did not meet the recommended daily intakes of several micronutrients.…”