VARIAZIONI DELLA SPESA ENERGETICA BASALE IN SOGGETTI ALLERGICI PRIMA E DURANTE TRATTAMENTO

Growth impairment has been reported in children with food allergies (FA). However, the available data on the dietary intake of FA children are controversial, and no data are available for children under 3 years of age on their resting energy expenditure (REE). The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status, through anthropometric parameters, and estimate the energy expenditure in children with FA before and during treatment. In this study, 30 FA children were matched by sex and age, with 20 healthy controls. Anthropometric parameters were evaluated by measuring weight, length/height, BMI, relative percentiles and Z-scores. Their REE was measured by indirect calorimetry (IC). Energy and macronutrient intake were evaluated using a three-day food diary. Anthropometrics parameters of FA children were unbalanced at enrollment compared to healthy children of the same age. All parameters (weight-height, weight-age, height-age and BMI-age z-score) normalized after 6 months of dietary treatment. The TEE (Total Energy Expenditure) of FA children, obtained from the REE measured with indirect calorimetry, was significantly higher than the caloric intake calculated with the food diary. In addition, the REE of FA children measured with indirect calorimetry was also significantly higher than the basal metabolic rate predicted with the Harris-Benedict equation. Nutritional evaluation and regular dietary follow-up are fundamental in FA children to ensure a balanced growth. On the basis of the results of this study, the measurement of basal metabolic rate by indirect calorimetry would always be appropriate and always recommended in the management of children with FA. This is one of the first research works that characterize the nutritional status of FA children through the use of anthropometric, biochemical and metabolic (indirect calorimetry) methodologies to obtain a complete approach and treat this pathology in a personalized way.