Sonographic Assessment of the Abdominal Wall Thickness in Primary School Children of Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan

Abstract

The present study was carried out to assess the abdominal wall thickness/abdominal fat in school children (6-11 years) at Dera Ismail Khan Pakistan. Abdominal Ultrasound was the sole criteria for the assessment of abdominal wall thickness. It included 103 school children; 58 (56.31%) boys and 45 (43.68%) girls. 76 (73.79%) were obese and 27 (26.21%) were normal weight children. Thorough clinical examination excluded those with chronic health problems. Body weight status was determined according to Quatelet’s Index and CDC’s gender specific growth charts 2-20 years (2000). Those, having BMI-for-age-percentile 5^th-<85^th percentile were declared as normal weight and obese with >95^th percentile. An ultasononic probe of 7.5MHZ was used to assess the abdominal fat (subcutaneous and preperitoneal) on two points: 2 cm above and 2 cm below umbilicus in the midline. Abdominal wall thickness/abdominal fat were found higher below the umbilicus than above the umbilicus in obese as well as in normal weight children. Maximum thickness of abdominal wall was found below the umbilicus in an obese girl (3.25 cm). Mean, for the abdominal thickness in normal weight children was calculated as 1cm. It is an important indicator for abdominal obesity in children.