Reduced body cell mass following severe head injury in children: implications for rehabilitation.

Statement Of Purpose: Increased proteolysis, muscle catabolism and altered body composition have been well documented after severe head injury, but the extent of these effects in children, and whether they extend into rehabilitation, have not been studied. This study determined nutritional status and body composition, with particular reference to the body cell mass (BCM), of head injured children at entry into a rehabilitation programme, and compared body composition analysis with anthropometric nutritional assessment.

Methods: Nineteen head injured children (nine males, 10 females, mean age 9.