The comparison of anthropometric measurements, biochemical parameters, clinical features and thyroid volumes of obese and healthy children

Purpose: To compare the anthrometric measurements, biochemical parameters, complications of obesity, and thyroid volumes of morbidly obese, obese, and overweight children who are classified by BMI persentiles with healthy children, and find out any parameters that might predict the complications of obestiy in childhood. Materials and methods: The children over 85 percentile of BMI and normal weighted children attended to our clinic between April, and August 2013 were included to this study. The anthropometric measurements were done and blood samples for fasting glucose, uric asid, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, tryglicerides, free T3, free T4, thyroglobulin, ATG, ATPO, ACTH, cortisole, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and urine sample for urine iodine were collected. HOMA-IR was calculated. Abdominal and thyroid ultrasound were performed. SPSS for Windows version 11,5 packet program was used for statistics and p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: As well as the anthropometric measurements, the uric acid, tryglicerides, ALT, free T3 and insulin levels of the morbidly obese children were statistically higher than that were in healthy children. Additionally, a corelation detected between metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and fatty liver disease. Also, high levels of ALT might be significant for fatty liver disease. Also, the thyroid volumes of morbidly obese children were larger than the normal weighted children over 12 years old. Conclusion: In the same age range, the thyroid volumes of morbidly obese children are statistically higher than the thyroid volumes of the normal weighted children. This is the first study that expresses the difference of thyroid volumes between morbidly obese and normal weighted adolescents in the literature. Key words: Childhood; Obesity; Fatty Liver; Metabolic Syndrome; Insulin Resistance.