title: Prevalence of undernutrition during hospitalisation in a children's hospital: what happens during admission?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK [2] Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Clinic of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pichler
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Dietetics, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004046:Dietetics; D006760:Hospitalization; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010343:Patient Admission; D015995:Prevalence