FOOD HABITS IN DOWN
OF 10 YEARS OR MORE
Renato COCCHI, a
neurologist and a medical psychologist
Summary
The records of 101 Down subjects out of a not
selected consecutive series of 518 (36 F + 75 M; age: range: 10-43, average:
13.68 years+ 5.16; chromosomal anomalies: Unknown = 6.73%, pure trisomy 21 =
83.17 %, mosaicisms = 6.93%, translocations = 2.97%) were reexamined for food
habits.
Liking for sweets, meat or cube broth, milk
and derivatives, bread and pasta, meat, fish, cooked vegetables, raw vegetables
and fruit were collected and scored according to 3-7 points scales.
The results show that most Downs, since
their 10-12 years appreciate milk and derivatives, bread and pasta, meat and
cooked vegetables. From 10 years Downs increase their taste for fish and about
70% of them like it since their 13-15 years. The taste for raw vegetables seems
well established in about 47% of 10-12 years old Down and it goes further until
adult age. Most Downs normally eat fruit, since they are 16-18. In this study
12 subjects aged 16 or more out of 21 (57.14%) refused or had scarce preference
for sweet things. About 65% of these Downs have a liking for meat broth or cube
broth and most of them since their 10-12 years.
Food habits in Down could inform on diet and
brain neurotransmitters that have their precursors in foods.
Key words: Down’s syndrome; food habits;
diet; neurotransmitters’ precursors.
Down's syndrome
* Mental retardation
* Stress symptoms
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iniziale
Food habits in Down’s syndrome subjects seem
to have poorly interested the researchers, out of weight gaining cause. As for
myself I have always judged it very important because these habits could inform
us on brain neurotransmitters via their food precursors. I already printed a
study on food precursors of glutamate and GABA in 460 Down individuals (Cocchi,
1990).
Having nearly always collected many data on
food habits since 1979, when I began drug therapies in Downs, I think that
these habits account mainly for biological needs.
On the other hand, they can vary by aging as
usual in normal people, and Down children may get acquainted with foods along
their social growing up. We must allow for it if we want to have more precise
information.
I got to a new study on this topic by
thinking of these problems.
Materials
and method
From the records of a cohort of 518 Down
subjects I saw about those of the people aging at least 10 years at first
consultation.
I looked into this sample of records by
collecting sex, age, chromosomal anomalies and feeding habits.
A year of life encompasses 6 months before
birthday and 6 months after it (eg: The 10th year ranges from 9
years and 7 months to 10 years and six months).
About feeding habits, I checked out liking
or not for sweets, meat broth or cube broth, milk and derivatives, bread and
pasta, meat, fish, cooked vegetables (except potatoes), raw vegetables, fruit.
Any type of food had its rating scale, as it
follows.
Sweets: 0 = no information; 1 = refuses any
type of sweet thing; 2 = the subject eats some ice-cream or some chocolate; 3 =
eats ice-creams and chocolate; 4 = eats sweets in a normal way; 5 = likes
sweets; 6 = is very fond of sweets:
Meat broth or cube broth: 0 = no
information; 1 = refuses any food cooked in broth; 2 = tastes only pasta cooked
in it; 3 = eats it in a normal way; 4 = likes broth; 5 = asks for having broth.
Milk and dairy products: 0 = no information;
1 = refuses milk and derivatives: 2 = drinks some milk only at breakfast; 3 =
drinks milk and eats derivatives in a normal way; 4 = likes milk also in the
evening; 5 = seeks milk (usually directly from the fridge) and drinks about a
litre every day.
Bread and pasta: 0 = no information; 1 =
eats bread and pasta in a normal way; 2 = likes bread and pasta; 3 = eats much
bread and asks for pasta twice a day.
Meat: 0 = no information; 1 = refuses any
type of meat; 2 = eats some meat, usually ham; 3 = eats meat in a normal way; 4
= likes to eat meat.
Fish: 0 = no information; 1 = refuses any
fish; 2 = tastes some fish; 3 = eats fish in a normal way; 4 = likes to eat
fish.
Cooked vegetables (except potatoes): 0 = no
information; 1 = refuses any vegetable; 2 = eats some vegetables, mainly as
vegetable soup; 3 = eats cooked vegetables in a normal way; 4 = likes to eat
cooked vegetables.
Raw vegetables: 0 = no information; 1 =
refuses any raw vegetable; 2 = eats some salad leaves, only because forced by
the parents; 3 = eats some vegetable, usually tomatoes; 4 = eats raw vegetables
in a normal way; 5 = likes to eat raw vegetables.
Fruit: 0 = no information; 1 = refuses any
fruit, also fruit juices; 2 = eats some fruit, usually fruit juices or bananas;
3 = eats fruit in quite normal way.
I counted in two ways: first I referred them
to the total of the sample. Then, I split the sample up into four sub-samples
according to years’ ranges such as 10-12, 13-15, 16-18, 19 or more years. I made
comparisons of preferences for each type kind of food between sub-samples’
percentages.
I tested the data by Chi Square, when
suitable.
Results
The results I have obtained are shown as it
follows.
A hundred and one out of 518 records
(19.50%) fitted the study criteria and made the sample up. Table 1 shows
epidemiological data of the sample and sub-samples 1-4.
Table 1: epidemiological data of the sample
and sub-samples.
|
|
Sample |
% |
Sub-s.1 |
% |
Sub-s.2 |
% |
Sub-s.3 |
% |
Sub-s.4 |
% |
|||||||
|
Nr. of Ss. |
101 |
|
55 |
|
25 |
|
11 |
|
10 |
|
|||||||
|
* " F |
36 |
|
25 |
|
5 |
|
4 |
|
2 |
|
|||||||
|
" * M |
75 |
|
30 |
|
20 |
|
7 |
|
8 |
|
|||||||
|
F/M x 100 |
208 |
|
120 |
|
250 |
|
175 |
|
400 |
|
|||||||
|
Average age |
13.68 |
|
10.82 |
|
14.08 |
|
16.36 |
|
22.50 * |
|
|||||||
|
SD |
5.15 |
|
0.82 |
|
0.86 |
|
0.67 |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Chromos. Anomalies |
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Pure tris. 21 |
84 |
83.2 |
47 |
85.5 |
20 |
80.0 |
10 |
90.9 |
7 |
70.0 |
|||||||
|
Translocat. |
3 |
3.0 |
2 |
3.6 |
1 |
4.0 |
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Mosaicisms |
7 |
6.9 |
4 |
7.3 |
2 |
8.0 |
|
|
1 |
10.0 |
|||||||
|
Unknown |
7 |
6.9 |
2 |
3.6 |
2 |
4.0 |
1 |
9.1 |
2 |
20.0 |
|||||||
* median
Tables 2-10 show preferences for a single sort of food.
Table 2 : liking for sweets (sample and sub-samples)
|
Grade |
Sample |
% |
Sub-s.1 |
% |
Sub-s.2 |
% |
Sub-s.3 |
% |
Sub-s.4 |
% |
|
0 |
10 |
9.9 |
6 |
10.9 |
4 |
16.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
1 |
13 |
12.9 |
10 |
18.2 |
2 |
8.0 |
1 |
9.1 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
2 |
27 |
26.7 |
21 |
38.2 |
3 |
12.0 |
1 |
9.1 |
2 |
20.0 |
|
3 |
22 |
21.8 |
9 |
16.4 |
5 |
20.0 |
3 |
27.28 |
5 |
50.0 |
|
4 |
19 |
18.9 |
7 |
12.7 |
8 |
32.0 |
2 |
18.2 |
2 |
20.0 |
|
5 |
10 |
9.9 |
2 |
3.6 |
3 |
12.0 |
4 |
36.4 |
1 |
10.0 |
|
6 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
Totals |
101 |
100. |
55 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
11 |
100 |
10 |
100 |
Chi square: sub-s. 1 vs. sub-s.
2: 10.930 5 df p < .057 N.S
.sub-s. 2 vs. sub-s. 3:
4.868 5 df p < .493 N.S.
sub-s. 1 vs. sub-s. 3:
15.582 5 df p < .009
sub-s. 1 vs. sub.s. 3+4:
15.283 5 df p < .002
As for the comparison between sub-samples 1
and 3 shown in Table 2, the taste for sweet things in Down children changed.
Most Downs of 16 years or more accept sweets.
Table 3 : liking for meat broth or cube
broth.
|
Grade |
Sample |
% |
Sub-s.1 |
% |
Sub-s.2 |
% |
Sub-s.3 |
% |
Sub-s.4 |
% |
|
0 |
5 |
4.9 |
1 |
1.8 |
2 |
8 |
1 |
9.1 |
1 |
10.0 |
|
1 |
16 |
15.8 |
11 |
20.0 |
4 |
16.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
1 |
10.0 |
|
2 |
14 |
13.9 |
11 |
20.0 |
3 |
12.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
3 |
53 |
52.5 |
26 |
47.3 |
14 |
56.0 |
9 |
81.8 |
4 |
40.0 |
|
4 |
12 |
11.9 |
6 |
10.9 |
2 |
8.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
4 |
40.0 |
|
5 |
1 |
1.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
1 |
9.1 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
Totals |
101 |
100 |
55 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
11 |
100 |
10 |
100 |
Chi square: sub-s. 3 vs.
sub-s. 4: 15.788 4 df p < .004
sub-s. 1 vs. sub-s. 3+4:
12.739 5 df p < .003
As for Table 3, the comparison between
sub-samples 1 and 3+4 shows that 85% Downs of 16 years or more like meat or
cube broth while only 58% of them do it at 10-12 years.
Table 4 : liking for milk and dairy
products.
|
Grade |
Sample |
% |
Sub-s.1 |
% |
Sub-s.2 |
% |
Sub-s.3 |
% |
Sub-s.4 |
% |
|
1 |
2 |
2.0 |
1 |
1.8 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
1 |
10.0 |
|
2 |
17 |
16.8 |
10 |
18.2 |
3 |
12.0 |
1 |
9.1 |
3 |
30.0 |
|
3 |
9 |
8.9 |
4 |
7.3 |
4 |
16.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
1 |
10.0 |
|
4 |
61 |
60.4 |
34 |
61.8 |
15 |
60.0 |
7 |
63.6 |
5 |
50.0 |
|
5 |
11 |
10.9 |
5 |
9.1 |
3 |
12.0 |
3 |
27.3 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
6 |
1 |
2.0 |
1 |
1.8 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
Totals |
101 |
100 |
55 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
11 |
100 |
10 |
100 |
Chi square: sub-s. 1 vs. sub-s.
3+4: 1.479 5 df p = 1.00 N.S.
Table 4 points to a stable taste for milk
and dairy products since their 10-12 years.
Table 5 : liking for bread and pasta.
|
Grade |
Sample |
% |
Sub-s.1 |
% |
Sub-s.2 |
% |
Sub-s.3 |
% |
Sub-s.4 |
% |
|
1 |
20 |
19.8 |
8 |
14.5 |
5 |
20.0 |
3 |
27.3 |
3 |
30.0 |
|
2 |
50 |
49.5 |
34 |
61.8 |
13 |
52.0 |
6 |
54.5 |
6 |
60.0 |
|
3 |
21 |
20.8 |
13 |
23.6 |
7 |
28.0 |
2 |
18.2 |
1 |
10.0 |
|
Totals |
101 |
100 |
55 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
11 |
100 |
10 |
100 |
Chi square: sub-s. 1 vs.
sub-s. 3+4: 2.309 2 df p < .316 N.S.
In Table 5 we observe that most Down’s
subjects like bread and pasta since their 10-12 years.
Table 6 : liking for meat.
|
Grade |
Sample |
% |
Sub-s.1 |
% |
Sub-s.2 |
% |
Sub-s.3 |
% |
Sub-s.4 |
% |
|
0 |
6 |
5.9 |
4 |
7.3 |
1 |
4.0 |
0 |
0,0 |
1 |
10.0 |
|
1 |
3 |
3.0 |
2 |
3.7 |
0 |
0.0 |
1 |
9.1 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
2 |
5 |
5.0 |
4 |
7.3 |
1 |
4.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
3 |
82 |
81.2 |
42 |
76.4 |
21 |
84.0 |
10 |
10.0 |
9 |
9.0 |
|
4 |
5 |
5.0 |
3 |
5.4 |
2 |
8.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
Totals |
101 |
100 |
55 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
11 |
100 |
10 |
100 |
Chi Square: sub-s. 1 vs.
sub-s. 3+4: 3.244 4 df p < .518 N.S.
In most Down, the taste for meat keeps up
from 10-12 years, as shown in Table 6.
Table 7 : liking for fish.
|
Grade |
Sample |
% |
Sub-s.1 |
% |
Sub-s.2 |
% |
Sub-s.3 |
% |
Sub-s.4 |
% |
|
0 |
34 |
33.7 |
23 |
41.8 |
6 |
24.0 |
3 |
27.3 |
2 |
20.0 |
|
1 |
6 |
6.0 |
5 |
9.1 |
1 |
4.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
2 |
1 |
1.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
1 |
4.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
3 |
57 |
56.4 |
25 |
45.4 |
16 |
64.0 |
8 |
72.7 |
8 |
80.0 |
|
4 |
3 |
3.0 |
2 |