Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Body hydration assessment using bioelectrical impedance vector analysis in neurologically impaired children

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 73, pages 1649–1652 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Dehydration is common and frequently under-diagnosed in chronic malnourished children, leading to life-threatening conditions. In this pilot study we applied bioimpedance vector analysis (BIVA) to determine hydration status in 52 neurologically impaired (NI) paediatric patients (14.08 ± 5.32). Clinical and biochemical data were used to define malnutrition and dehydration. Body composition analysis and hydration were also assessed by BIVA and we considered 143 normal-weight healthy subjects (15.0 ± 1.7), as controls for hydration status assessment. BIVA revealed a pathological hydration status in NI children, showing higher resistance (p < 0.001) and reactance values (p = 0.001) compared to controls. No differences in reactance and resistance were detected between well-nourished and under-nourished subjects. Four patients out of 52 showed mild signs of dehydration; no severe dehydration was detected. Laboratory data, suggestive for dehydration, were similar in well-nourished and under-nourished NI subjects. In conclusion, in our sample of NI paediatrics, dehydration according to clinical signs and laboratory data was under-diagnosed. BIVA showed specific bioelectrical characteristics that could be compatible with impaired hydration status. Further studies are necessary to confirm that BIVA may an applicable tool for defining dehydration status and guiding rehydration in NI children.

This is a preview of subscription content

Access options

Buy article

Get time limited or full article access on ReadCube.

$32.00

Buy

All prices are NET prices.

Fig. 1

References

  1. Groce N, Challenger E, Berman-Bieler R, Farkas A, Yilmaz N, Schultink W, et al. Malnutrition and disability: unexplored opportunities for collaboration. Paediatr Int Child Health. 2014;34:308–14.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Heavens KR, Charkoudian N, O’Brien C, Kenefick RW, Cheuvront SN. Noninvasive assessment of extracellular and intracellular dehydration in healthy humans using the resistance-reactance-score graph method. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;103:724–9.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Cena H, Fonte ML, Casali PM, Maffoni S, Roggi C, Biino G. Epicardial fat thickness: threshold values and lifestyle association in male adolescents. Pediatr Obes. 2015;10:105–11.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Pelizzo G, Calcaterra V, Carlini V, Fusillo M, Manuelli M, Klersy C, et al. Nutritional status and metabolic profile in neurologically impaired pediatric surgical patients. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2017;30:289–300.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Piccoli A, Rossi B, Pillon L, Bucciante G. A new method for monitoring body fluid variation by bioimpedance analysis: the RXc graph. Kidney Int. 1994;46:534–9.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Piccoli A, Pastori G. BIVA software. Padova: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy; 2002.

  7. Kyle UG, Piccoli A, Pichard C. Body composition measurements: interpretation finally made easy for clinical use. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care.2003;6:387–93.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Marker RL. Mental disability and death by dehydration. Natl Cathol Bioeth Q. 2002;2:125–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The authors did not receive any funding from public, commercial or not-for-profit agencies to conduct this research.

Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Valeria Calcaterra and Hellas Cena

Affiliations

  1. Paediatric Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pavia and Department of Maternal and Children’s Health, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy

    Valeria Calcaterra

  2. Department of Public Health, Neurosciences, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Section of Human Nutrition, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Hellas Cena & Matteo Manuelli

  3. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Service, Unit of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, ICS Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy

    Hellas Cena

  4. Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering of the University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Lucia Sacchi & Cristiana Larizza

  5. Paediatric Surgery Department, Children’s Hospital “G. Di Cristina”, ARNAS Civico-di Cristina-Benfratelli”, Palermo, Italy

    Vincenza Girgenti & Gloria Pelizzo

Authors
  1. Valeria Calcaterra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hellas Cena
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Matteo Manuelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Lucia Sacchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Vincenza Girgenti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Cristiana Larizza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Gloria Pelizzo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gloria Pelizzo.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Publisher’s note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Calcaterra, V., Cena, H., Manuelli, M. et al. Body hydration assessment using bioelectrical impedance vector analysis in neurologically impaired children. Eur J Clin Nutr 73, 1649–1652 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0384-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0384-7

Further reading

Search

Advanced search

Quick links