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Nutritional Screening Tools for Malnutrition in Pediatrics

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Handbook of Famine, Starvation, and Nutrient Deprivation

Abstract

Malnutrition in pediatrics remains a cause for concern due to its considerably high prevalence and deleterious effects on growth, development, and overall health. Early identification of malnutrition risk may prevent nutritional deterioration during hospitalization. There are currently a number of suggested screening tools for use in pediatrics; however, there is no consensus on a single tool that is favorable over others. Thus selection of a screening tool for implementation is perplexing. Presented here is an overview of the screening tools available for use in pediatrics and further actions needed in order to implement the use of screening tools in different settings in pediatrics. Seven screening tools that are intended for use upon admission to the hospital were identified. Two screening tools were designed for specific medical conditions. One screening tool was designed for sole use in ambulatory settings. Of the seven tools identified for use upon hospital admission, some tools were also validated for use in specific medical conditions and one tool was also validated for use in ambulatory settings. Comparison between screening tools failed to offer one tool favorable to others. A model for implementation of nutritional screening in pediatrics in terms of policy change is suggested. In conclusion, there is currently no single nutritional screening tool that is superior to others. When selecting a screening tool, one should consider the setting in which screening will take place, in terms of purposes and applications. Governments and healthcare providers should promote implementation of nutritional screening in pediatrics in all healthcare facilities.

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Abbreviations

ASPEN:

American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

BIA PhA:

Bioelectrical Impedance Phase Angel

BMI:

Body Mass Index

CDC:

Center for Disease Control

ESPEN:

European Society of Enteral Nutrition

ESPGHAN:

European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition

GI:

Gastro Intestinal

ICD-10:

International Classification of Diseases

LOS:

Length of (hospital) Stay

MUAMC:

Mid Upper Arm Muscle Circumference

NRI:

Nutritional Risk Index

NRS:

Nutrition Risk Score

nutriSTEP:

Nutritional Screening Tool for Every Preschooler

PeDiSMART:

The Pediatric Digital Scaled Malnutrition Risk Screening Tool

PICU:

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

PNRS:

Pediatric Nutrition Risk Score

PYMS:

Paediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score

SCAN:

Screening tool for childhood CANcer

SGNA:

Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment

STAMP:

Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Pediatrics

STRONGkids:

Screening Tool for Risk on Nutritional status and Growth

UK90:

United Kingdom (growth charts)

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva, Israel

    Gal Rub, Luba Marderfeld & Raanan Shamir

  2. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Institute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva, Israel

    Luba Marderfeld

  3. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel - Aviv, Israel

    Raanan Shamir

Authors
  1. Gal Rub
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  2. Luba Marderfeld
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  3. Raanan Shamir
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Raanan Shamir .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Research Division, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK

    Victor R. Preedy

  2. School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK

    Vinood B. Patel

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Rub, G., Marderfeld, L., Shamir, R. (2019). Nutritional Screening Tools for Malnutrition in Pediatrics. In: Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Handbook of Famine, Starvation, and Nutrient Deprivation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55387-0_66

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55387-0_66

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-55386-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-55387-0

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