Abstract
Background: Undernutrition and chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) in children are common in low resource settings but there are few studies of their interactions.
Aim: To evaluate nutritional factors associated with CSOM in Yemeni children.
Methods: A case-control study of 75 children with CSOM and 74 healthy controls. Assessment included dietary history, anthropometry, haemoglobin, and serum analytes zinc, copper, selenium, iron, calcium, phosphate and total 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D].
Results: Cases had lower mean z scores for weight-for-age, weight-for-height, body mass index (BMI) and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) (all P< 0.05), and lower mean concentrations of serum zinc (P=0.032), selenium (P< 0.001) and calcium adjusted for albumin (P=0.026). Age-adjusted haemoglobin and iron biomarkers did not differ between cases and controls. There was high prevalence of low serum zinc concentration (≥90%), and vitamin D deficiency in both cases (80%) and controls (96%). Duration of ear discharge was negatively correlated with total 25(OH)D, calcium adjusted for albumin, phosphate, transferrin receptor/log ferritin ratio, and copper (all P< 0.05); and positively correlated with child age and MUAC (both P< 0.001).
Conclusions: Children with CSOM were more undernourished than controls with lower mean serum zinc, selenium and calcium concentrations. Vitamin D deficient and iron replete children had longer duration of infection although this association was lost with age adjustment. Trials evaluating specific micronutrients are required in order to investigate specific nutrient-infection interactions in CSOM.
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Elemraid, M., Mackenzie, I., Fraser, W. et al. A Case-Control Study of Nutritional Factors Associated with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media in Yemeni Children. Pediatr Res 70 (Suppl 5), 790 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2011.1015
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2011.1015