Nutritional Assessment in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Significance of Arm Anthropometry and Prognostic Nutritional Index

Nutritional assessment at the time of diagnosis is significant because it accurately identifies malnutrition or obesity, allowing for tailored medical nutrition therapy to improve outcomes, reduce complications, shorten recovery times, and lower healthcare costs. This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of pediatric patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the time of diagnosis.  Patient & Method: This is a cross-sectional hospital based study, was conducted at the Leukemia Unit of Al-Kuwait University Hospital (KUH) in Sana’a, Yemen. Nutritional assessment was performed using the following anthropometric measurements: Body mass index (BMI), mid upper arm muscle area (MAMA). The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) was determined based on serum albumin levels and the total lymphocyte counts.  Results: One hundred and four children were enrolled during the study period, the mean age was 7.144 ± 3.24 years. A total of 79.8 % were aged less than ten years, with male predominance of 62.5%, and patients who lived in rural areas were 68.3%. Defined by BMI, MAMA, MUAC, and TSFT measurements, malnourished patients were 61.5%,52.9%, 66.3%, and 51%, respectively. Based on PNI, 41.4 % of patients were at risk of malnutrition.  Conclusion: Malnutrition emerges as a critical health concern at the time of diagnosis in pediatric ALL.