Body composition assessment in the study of physical development of children with atopic dermatitis

The physical development of children can be considered as a marker of nutritional adequacy. Atopic dermatitis often co-occurs with food allergies. Avoiding a range of foods can affect the physical development of the child. An important parameter characterizing the level of physical development and reflecting the child’s nutritional status is the body mass index (BMI). However, BMI does not always adequately assess the degree of fat deposition at the individual level. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a promising direction in the early diagnosis of changes in the body composition of the child before changes in anthropometric parameters appear. BIA allows for a rapid assessment of body composition, but reference BIA values for younger children are unknown. The phase angle serves as an indicator of the integrity of cell membranes and the total amount of fluid in the body. Reference values for the phase angle are necessary to estimate individual patient deviations in relation to the population average. However, as far as is known, these data are not available for children under five years of age. In this review, the authors consider the possibilities of various methods in assessing the physical development of children with atopic dermatitis. Key words: atopic dermatitis, bioelectrical impedance analysis, physical development