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  • Original Article
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Maternal nutrition, infants and children

Prevalence of undernutrition during hospitalisation in a children’s hospital: what happens during admission?

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 68, pages 730–735 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Background/Objective:

The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of undernutrition in children on presentation to hospital and on discharge.

Methods:

On a screening week, 141 children aged from birth to 17 years who were hospitalised for ⩾72 h were reviewed on presentation and discharge or after 3 months (if still in hospital) by auditing hospital records. Weight for age standard deviation (s.d.<−2) was used to define undernutrition on admission and discharge. The number of children referred for dietetic advice was recorded.

Results:

The prevalence of undernutrition on admission was 27% (14% moderate (s.d.: −2 to −3) and 13% severe (s.d.: ⩾−3)) according to weight s.d. and increased to 32% by discharge (11% moderate; 21% severe). The most nutritionally vulnerable children, with a prevalence of undernutrition from 33 to 53% on admission, were aged less than 2 years, inpatients for >1 month and those with multiple medical problems. In all, 74% (n=104) of cases were referred to Dietetics, including 73% (n=79) of those without evidence of undernutrition.

Conclusions:

Undernutrition is a major problem in children during hospitalisation. The risk of nutritional depletion needs to be identified at the time of admission, especially for children under 2 years and those with multiple medical problems, in order to initiate appropriate nutritional intervention.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the members of the multi-disciplinary teams caring for these patients while in hospital.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    J Pichler & S M Hill

  2. Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Clinic of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    J Pichler

  3. Dietetics, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    V Shaw

  4. MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, London, UK

    A Lucas

Authors
  1. J Pichler
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  2. S M Hill
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  3. V Shaw
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  4. A Lucas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J Pichler.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Contributors: The study was designed by Dr Susan Hill, Vanessa Shaw and Prof. Alan Lucas. The subjects were recruited by Dr Judith Pichler. Data collection and analyses were done by Dr Judith Pichler and Prof. Alan Lucas. The manuscript was written by Dr Judith Pichler with the provision of significant advice and consultation by all other authors. All authors critically appraised the manuscript.

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Pichler, J., Hill, S., Shaw, V. et al. Prevalence of undernutrition during hospitalisation in a children’s hospital: what happens during admission?. Eur J Clin Nutr 68, 730–735 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2014.21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2014.21

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