DECREASED SERUM LEVELS OF NUTRITIONAL BIOCHEMICAL INDEXES IN HEALTHY-CHILDREN WITH MARGINALLY DELAYED PHYSICAL GROWTH

Biochemical markers of nutritional status (albumin, transthyretin, ins ulin-like growth factor-I and zinc) were measured in slowly growing tw o- to five-year-old, low-income Parisian children whose weight-for-hei ght or height-for-age z scores (WHZ or HAZ) were between -1 and -2 SD of the NCHS median. The results were compared to controls who were mat ched for age, sex, and ethnic origin with WHZ and HAZ between -1 and 2 SD. Mean serum levels of transthyretin, albumin and insulin-like gro wth factor-I and mean plasma zinc concentrations were significantly lo wer in the growth-impaired children than in the controls (p=0.002, p=0 .006, p=0.015, and p=0.035, respectively). While the height-retarded c hildren had low mean serum insulin-like growth factor-I values, the we ight-retarded subjects had decreased levels of albumin, transthyretin and zinc when compared to controls. Lower mean levels of nutritional m arkers in healthy, slowly growing children suggest that inadequate die tary intakes of zinc, protein and/or energy may result in marginal del ays in weight and height gains.