Introduction: Biliary atresia (BA) is a progressive obstructive disease of the biliary tree, causing severe cholestasis that leads to cirrhosis and the need for a liver transplant (LT). Failure to thrive and malnutrition are common in these children. We evaluated children’s BA growth trajectory for one year after LT. We hypothesize that the growth trajectory one year after LT is associated with the patient’s age at the time of transplant. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of children 2 years) growth charts. Weight for age (WFA), height for age (HFA), and weight for length or BMI for age (BMI/A) z-scores were obtained at time of LT, and at 3 months intervals up to 12 months and compared in children 1yr. Malnutrition defined as z-scores 1 yr. (n=80) did not show statistical significance for WFA, HFA, and BMI/A. The z-score comparison at 12 mos. for 1 yr. (n=74) was: WFA, 0.32±0.94 vs. 0.22±1.23, (p=0.61), HFA, -1.14±1.19 vs. -0.61±1.40, (p=0.029), and 1.19±1.06 vs. 0.76±1.01, (p=0.023). Conclusions: Malnutrition was present in children with biliary atresia at the time of LT, with stunting being the most prevalent at 22%. At 12 months after LT, stunting remained the most prevalent type of malnutrition with 21%, and younger children had significantly lower HFA and higher BMI/A z scores compared to older children.
Knebusch et al. (Sun,) studied this question.