Background
In several bone disorders, adequate calcium intake is a coadjuvant intervention to regular treatment. Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a collagen disorder with a range of symptoms, ranging from fractures to minimum trauma, and it is typically treated with bisphosphonates. In the present study, we evaluate the impact of a nutritional intervention (NI) on dietary calcium intake and bone mineral density (BMD) in paediatric patients with OI.
Methods
A nonrandomised clinical trial was designed with a NI. Dietary calcium intake, anthropometry and clinical features were assessed at baseline, including anthropometry, basal metabolic rate (BMR), BMD. In addition, a food guidance form was developed and sent to patients by mail. After 12 months, clinical features of patients were reassessed and compared with the baseline data.
Results
Fifty‐two children and adolescents were enrolled. Significant increases in total calcium intake (mg day−1), percentage of adequate calcium intake (%) and number of cups of milk ingested were observed after NI. We detected a positive correlation between the variation of BMD and milk consumption in patients treated with bisphosphonate.
Conclusions
We observed an increase in calcium intake in patients with OI. This finding demonstrates the importance of nutrition therapy as part of a multidisciplinary treatment approach for bone health.