Eating and Lifestyle Habits in Youth With Down Syndrome Attending a Care Program: An Exploratory Lesson for Future Improvements
Introduction: Children with Down Syndrome (DS) have nutritional problems with unknown implications besides increased potential for obesity. Their food habits are unknown. We aim to delineate eating and lifestyle habits of DS children attending a multispecialist program to identify the challenges the...
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doaj-2fe987cb006a4fea88e8322ac741012a2021-09-08T04:50:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2021-09-01810.3389/fnut.2021.641112641112Eating and Lifestyle Habits in Youth With Down Syndrome Attending a Care Program: An Exploratory Lesson for Future ImprovementsGiulia Roccatello0Guido Cocchi1Rosa Tullia Dimastromatteo2Alessandra Cavallo3Giovanni Battista Biserni4Mariella Selicati5Maria Luisa Forchielli6Maria Luisa Forchielli7Consultant Registered Dietitian, Ass Diet I., Bologna, ItalyPediatrics, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyPediatrics, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyPediatrics, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyPediatrics, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyPediatrics, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyPediatrics, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyHealth Science and Technologies Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research (CIRI-SDV), University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyIntroduction: Children with Down Syndrome (DS) have nutritional problems with unknown implications besides increased potential for obesity. Their food habits are unknown. We aim to delineate eating and lifestyle habits of DS children attending a multispecialist program to identify the challenges they face and the potential improvements.Patients and Methods: We interacted with 34 DS children (22 males, 12 females, 2–16 years old) and their families. Food habits, medical conditions and treatments, degrees of development and physical activity, anthropometric and laboratory data were recorded over 6 months and analyzed. A 3-day food diary and a 24-h recall food frequency questionnaire were administered.Results: Twenty-nine (85%) children completed meals, only 11 (32%) received alternative food such as milk. Weaning regularly started in 25 (73%) children. Preschool children introduced adequate calories and nutrients. School children and adolescents did not reach recommendations. All age groups, as the general pediatric population, excessively ate protein and saturated fat, and preferred bread, pasta, fruit juices, meat and cold cuts. Peculiarly, pulses and fish were adequately assumed by preschool and school children, respectively. Five children (15%) were overweight/obese.Conclusions: Dietary excesses commonly found in the general pediatric population are also present in this DS group, proving a narrowing gap between the two. DS group performed better nutritionally in the early years and overweight/obesity occurrence seems contained. DS children may benefit from a practical yet professional care-program in which nutrition education may improve their growth, development and transition into adulthood.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.641112/fullnutritionmultidisciplinary approachpreventionobesitylifestyledown syndrome |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Giulia Roccatello Guido Cocchi Rosa Tullia Dimastromatteo Alessandra Cavallo Giovanni Battista Biserni Mariella Selicati Maria Luisa Forchielli Maria Luisa Forchielli |
spellingShingle |
Giulia Roccatello Guido Cocchi Rosa Tullia Dimastromatteo Alessandra Cavallo Giovanni Battista Biserni Mariella Selicati Maria Luisa Forchielli Maria Luisa Forchielli Eating and Lifestyle Habits in Youth With Down Syndrome Attending a Care Program: An Exploratory Lesson for Future Improvements Frontiers in Nutrition nutrition multidisciplinary approach prevention obesity lifestyle down syndrome |
author_facet |
Giulia Roccatello Guido Cocchi Rosa Tullia Dimastromatteo Alessandra Cavallo Giovanni Battista Biserni Mariella Selicati Maria Luisa Forchielli Maria Luisa Forchielli |
author_sort |
Giulia Roccatello |
title |
Eating and Lifestyle Habits in Youth With Down Syndrome Attending a Care Program: An Exploratory Lesson for Future Improvements |
title_short |
Eating and Lifestyle Habits in Youth With Down Syndrome Attending a Care Program: An Exploratory Lesson for Future Improvements |
title_full |
Eating and Lifestyle Habits in Youth With Down Syndrome Attending a Care Program: An Exploratory Lesson for Future Improvements |
title_fullStr |
Eating and Lifestyle Habits in Youth With Down Syndrome Attending a Care Program: An Exploratory Lesson for Future Improvements |
title_full_unstemmed |
Eating and Lifestyle Habits in Youth With Down Syndrome Attending a Care Program: An Exploratory Lesson for Future Improvements |
title_sort |
eating and lifestyle habits in youth with down syndrome attending a care program: an exploratory lesson for future improvements |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Nutrition |
issn |
2296-861X |
publishDate |
2021-09-01 |
description |
Introduction: Children with Down Syndrome (DS) have nutritional problems with unknown implications besides increased potential for obesity. Their food habits are unknown. We aim to delineate eating and lifestyle habits of DS children attending a multispecialist program to identify the challenges they face and the potential improvements.Patients and Methods: We interacted with 34 DS children (22 males, 12 females, 2–16 years old) and their families. Food habits, medical conditions and treatments, degrees of development and physical activity, anthropometric and laboratory data were recorded over 6 months and analyzed. A 3-day food diary and a 24-h recall food frequency questionnaire were administered.Results: Twenty-nine (85%) children completed meals, only 11 (32%) received alternative food such as milk. Weaning regularly started in 25 (73%) children. Preschool children introduced adequate calories and nutrients. School children and adolescents did not reach recommendations. All age groups, as the general pediatric population, excessively ate protein and saturated fat, and preferred bread, pasta, fruit juices, meat and cold cuts. Peculiarly, pulses and fish were adequately assumed by preschool and school children, respectively. Five children (15%) were overweight/obese.Conclusions: Dietary excesses commonly found in the general pediatric population are also present in this DS group, proving a narrowing gap between the two. DS group performed better nutritionally in the early years and overweight/obesity occurrence seems contained. DS children may benefit from a practical yet professional care-program in which nutrition education may improve their growth, development and transition into adulthood. |
topic |
nutrition multidisciplinary approach prevention obesity lifestyle down syndrome |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.641112/full |
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