INTERPRETATION OF THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE OF CHILDREN OF UNUSUAL BODY BUILD

[摘要] The relative predictive value of six methods of reference frequently used to determine the BMR of children of unusual body build has been studied. The methods of reference based on the Child Research Council standards which were employed for this purpose were those for cal./hr./sq. m., cal./hr./kg. and cal./hr./cm., each referred to age, and cal./hr. referred to surface area, weight and height, respectively.An analysis was made of 558 determinations of basal metabolism obtained on 86 healthy children of the Child Research Council, of 946 basal metabolism tests on 793 children described in the literature and of 80 basal metabolism tests on 74 children observed by Gordon. The study included children between 2 and 16 years of age whose weight or height or both weight and height fell above the 90th percentile or below the 10th percentile of all the children of similar age on whom the Council standards had been established.The results of this analysis show that the methods of reference of cal./hr. referred to surface area and of cal./hr. referred to weight are reliable for the interpretation of BMR determinations on children of all six types of body build. This is also true of cal./hr./sq. m. referred to age except in the case of very small children or dwarfs for whom high BMR are found. These observations might well have been anticipated since height and weight and surface area increase with age in children, but weight and surface area give a better evaluation of body mass than does height.The methods of reference of cal./hr./kg. referred to age, cal./hr./cm. referred to age and cal/hr. referred to height are not so reliable, either individually or collectively, for routine clinical use as are the other three methods of reference. Nevertheless, the deviations in the BMR obtained by these less satisfactory methods of reference may be of considerable importance in understanding the problems of a child of unusual body build. The use of the proper methods of reference based on reliable standards will result in trustworthy BMR for children of unusual body build.

[学科分类] 儿科学