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MUSCULAR FUNCTION IN RECOVERED MALNOURISHED INFANTS

Muscle tissue provides the largest store of potentially available protein in the body; it is considerable reduced in children with severe protein energy malnutrition (PEM). After nutritional recovery there is a significant increase in muscle mass. It has also been described that skeletal muscle function is related to nutritional status. We studied 20 children aged 12 ± 4m who suffered PEM early in life (G1) and were compared with another group of children who had never had PEM (G2) matched by sex and age. Their nutritional status was compared with the WHO standards. Skeletal muscle function was determined by stimulating the ulnar nerve at the left wrist and measuring the force of isometric contractions of the abductor pollicis muscle using a stimulus-isolation unit (Grass model SI U5A) with electrical stimulation at 10, 20, 30, 50 and 100 Hg. Weight and height were significantly higher in G2 (p < 0.001). No differences in W/H were found. The contraction of the abductor pollicis was higher in G2 (p<0.01). In the malnourished group this muscle generated less force, fatigued more rapidly and recovered less rapidly than in G2. The maximal relaxation rate was 6.9 ± 0.4% and 8.6 ± 0.2% (mean ± SEM) for Group 1 and 2, respectively (p < 0.01). These results show that the response of the abductor pollicis muscle may be an indicator of the recovery of nutritional status.