The impact of supplemental feeding in young children on dialysis:

Abstract 

Supplemental feedings are commonly recommended for young children on dialysis but their effect on growth parameters and mortality has not been well documented. We report the results of a North American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study (NAPRTCS) survey on the impact of supplemental feedings on growth and mortality in children <6 years of age at dialysis initiation. Sixty-four nonsurvivors (NonS) were matched with 110 survivors (S) for age at dialysis initiation, primary renal disease, and year of entry into the NAPRTCS database. Questionnaires were completed by participating centers on 137 patients (51 NonS, 86 S). Supplemental feedings were given to 70% of patients and more commonly given to patients <2 years of age compared to those 2–5 years of age at dialysis initiation (P<0.001). Supplemental feedings were also more commonly given to patients with nonrenal disease in addition to renal disease compared to those with renal disease only (P<0.001). In patients receiving supplemental feedings, the method of supplemental feeding was most commonly by nasogastric tube in patients <2 years of age compared to those 2–5 years of age (P=0.027). Supplemental feeding use was not different in S compared to NonS. There were no differences in height standard deviation score (SDS), weight SDS, or change in height or weight SDS in patients receiving supplemental feedings compared to those who did not. The height and weight SDS did not improve over time on supplemental feeds. In summary, despite the common use of supplemental feedings in young patients on dialysis, height, weight, and mortality remain unaffected. Prospective long-term evaluation of this therapy is needed to determine the effectiveness of supplemental feeding.