Growth Status of a Sample of Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Abdul Kadhum Zedian, Muna
Assist Prof. Muna Abdul Kadhum Zedian holds a Master degree in Community Health from Middle Technical University (Iraq), Work Address: Middle Technical University / College of Health and Medical Technology / Community Health Department. Administration Position: Administration Position (Head of University Performance Unit).

Any chronic health problem like diabetes, can effect persons, because diabetes and its associated disorders can bring a big change into persons life, one of them growth retardation because it occurs when the duration of disease was longer and this may result from poor control of disease, lack of education, unavailability of treatment, poor follow up and lack of regular annual measurement. The objectives of the study were to assess the growth status of a sample of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus by using weight, height, BMI, head, mid upper arm, chest and waist circumferences. It is found that in all measurements males had higher mean values than females and both showed normal growth distribution. The present study showed that the majority of children under 5 years have normal weight for height index and a minority of them have wasting, and small proportion of under weight occurred in children under 10 years, and the highest percentage of children have normal height for age and lowest percentage of them suffering from stunting and the majority of children have normal BMI for age and a minority of them suffering from thinness.