Comparação entre parâmetros de avaliação antropométrica em crianças com microcefalia associada à síndrome congênita do vírus Zika

Abstract

Introduction: Microcephaly associated with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome (CZVS) is characterized by congenital malformations of the central nervous system, impairing various physical and motor functions as well as the nutritional status of affected children. In this context, the nutritional assessment of these children is crucial due to their specific needs and the high prevalence of low birth weight. Objective: To compare anthropometric assessment parameters in children with CZVS microcephaly. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 36 children with CZVS microcephaly, collecting socioeconomic, demographic, and anthropometric data. The anthropometric parameters arm circumference (AC), triceps skinfold thickness (TST), arm muscle area (AMA), arm fat area (AFA), and arm muscle circumference (AMC) were compared with the classifications of the Body Mass Index (BMI) for age from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Brooks. Results: The study included 36 children. There was a high prevalence of low weight deficits in the studied children, with 39.3% classified as underweight by AC and 28.6% by TST. Regarding the AMA equation, 46.4% of the children presented some type of malnutrition, 82.1% were underweight by AMC, and AFA indicated that at least 50% of the children suffer from depletion of energy and protein reserves. In the weighted kappa test, there was a significant and strong agreement (84% k = 0.773) between the WHO BMI/age curves for healthy children and the Brooks BMI/age curves for GMFCS Stage 5, for children with cerebral palsy. It was also observed that the Brooks curves had a significant agreement with the AC, TST, AFA, and AMC parameters (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The WHO BMI/age and Brooks BMI/age curves for GMFCS Stage 5 showed 84% agreement, demonstrating strong concordance. For other comparisons, the agreement was weak or not significant.