Study of Nutritional Status of Patients with Biliary Atresia and Autoimmune Hepatitis Related to Serum Levels of Vitamins A, D and E

Nutritional deficiencies are frequent in children and adults with chronic liver disease (CLD), mainly infantile cholestasisEnergy-protein malnutrition affects approximately 60% of children with chronic hepatopathy and this is associated with increase in morbidity and mortality rates. This complication has some important implications for prognosisDifferent mechanisms may contribute to malnutrition such as decrease in dietary intake, malabsorption, abnormal nitrogen metabolism and change in substrate utilization conducing to reduction in fat storage and negative protein balanceFat-soluble vitamins are frequently deficient in chronic liver disease (CLD) mainly in the presence of cholestasisThe deficiency in absorption, mobility and storage are factors that cause decrease in vitamin A, D and E serum levels with subsequent clinical manifestationBiliary atresia (BA) is commonest cause of chronic cholestasis and the main indication of pediatric liver transplantationAutoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a commonest cause of chronic liver disease in childhood and early adulthood and it affects predominantly hepatocytesConventional methods to measure nutritional status may not always be applicable for patient with chronic liver disease. The body weight is usualy an uncertain indication of nutritional status for patient with CLD. midarm circumference and triceps skinfold thickness are preferred alternative parameters to detect malnuitriton in adult and children with CLD.