Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in a group of Iraqi obese children attending children welfare teaching hospital

Dhia Hassen Al baldawi 1, Manaf Jarallah Yaseen 2, * and Alaa Abdulhussein Abbas 3

1 College of Medicine University of Baghdad, Iraq.
2 Iraqi Center of Cardiac Diseases, Medical city. Baghdad, Iraq.
3 Medical city. Baghdad, Iraq
 
Research Article
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2022, 06(02), 184–192.
Article DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2022.6.2.0137
Publication history: 
Received on 11 June 2022; revised on 13 August 2022; accepted 15 August 2022
 
Abstract: 
Background: Background: Although liver biopsy is the gold standard method for diagnosing and staging non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the majority of patients can be effectively diagnosed non-invasively with tests that are routinely available in the clinic today as abdominal ultrasound.
Aim of the study: to study the prevalence of NAFLD as a complication among obese children and some of its related variables.
Patients and methods: A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted on 71 obese cases with an age range of 2-15 years in the medical city of Baghdad from the 1st of September 2014 to the 1st of September 2015. Obese children were selected according to their Body Mass Index which should be 97th centile according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. We depended on abdominal ultrasound to look for FLD.
Results; Most of the cases are school-age. Of these cases 17 (23.9%) were pre-hypertensive and 10 (14.1%) were hypertensive so obesity was significantly correlated with increased blood pressure. Bone age was advanced in 38 (53.5%) meaning that it had an obvious correlation with obesity. Formula-fed cases 20 (28.2%). Family history of obesity was 51 (71.8%). FLD among obese children; in the obese group; the prevalence of FLDr was 25 (35.2%). Males were 19 (76%). In obese with FLD 8 (32%) of them were hypertensive. Bone age was advanced in 18 (72%) of them. Ten (40%) were formula fed. Total serum bilirubin 3 (12%). Alanine aminotransferase 18 (72%) and Aspartate aminotransferase 13 (52%)were elevated. 13 (52%) had elevated Fasting blood glucose. Four (16%) had elevated Triglyceride levels. All of these values are more in obese with fatty liver than in obese without FLD.
Conclusions; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with significant comorbid conditions as they have more prevalence of hypertension and increased lipid profile. There is a significant correlation between early feeding type and the growing problem which is excessive TV watching and digital games playing using mobile phones by most of them.
 
Keywords: 
Overweight, Obese children; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Abdominal ultrasound; Pediatric
 
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