Hospital malnutrition in children: what are the challenges?

Abstract

Hospital malnutrition can be regarded as a universal problem. It is highly prevalent in the young,¹ in acute² and chronic¹ disease conditions and in developed¹ as well as developing² countries. It is associated with many adverse outcomes, including prolonged ICU¹ and hospital length of stay,^1,3,4,5 prolonged ventilation days,¹ increased number of complications,^1,3,4,5 increased costs,^3,5,6 increased number of re-admissions,3 and ultimately, increased mortality.^1,6