Nutrition Support in Pediatric Patients with Malnutrition

Introduction: Malnutrition is an inadequate or irregular intake of energy, protein and other nutrients that can cause disruption of body structure and function If gastrointestinal function is normal, but oral intake is not sufficient, the food nutritives should be supplemented via oral or enteral route with feeding tube.

Methods:Patients who were admitted to Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology between January, 2014 and January, 2019 were included in the study. Patient information was obtained from the records retrospectively using malnutrition and enteral nutrition diagnostic codes.

RESULTS: The study included 111patients. Of the patients, 56(50.5%) were female. Different enteral feeding products were given to the patients according to their clinical status, diagnoses, and recent weight changes. In addition to the patients diagnosed with malnutrition, 23(20.7%) had GI system disease, 43(38.7%) had neurometabolic disease, 12 (10.8%) had endocrinological disease, and 2(1.8%) had hepatobiliary disease. Nine of the patients(8.1%) were fed with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Of the 111 patients examined, 28(25,2%) were received standard products, 39(35,1%) were high fiber, 7(6,3%) were high energy, and 26(23,4%) were high energy and high-fiber, 5(4.5%) hydrolyzed nutrition product, others with special diseases received products suitable for diseases they have. 74 of the patients(66.7%) were followed up and 37 of them (33.3%) were not participate in follow up with their own requests. Patients with neurometabolic disease used the enteral nutrition product continuously. In other patients, enteral nutrition support was continued or discontinued according to nutrition status and weight gain.

Results: Enteral nutritional support is a major contributor to the prevention of malnutrition, which is an important problem in the chronic disease process, and for better outcome of the actual treatment and follow-up of the disease. It makes it easier for the physician and caregiver / family who follows the patient to cope with the disease.