Failure to thrive: A proposed diagnostic approach.

Failure to thrive is a general term describing infants who do not reach weight, length, or body mass index expected for their age. It can be related often to malnutrition due to inadequate caloric and protein intake, but also to excessive loss of nutrients, inadequate metabolism, inadequate absorption, or excessive caloric and energy expenditure. It may be either organic or inorganic in origin, and in most cases, does not require investigation through complementary examinations.

Protein intake deficiency in critically ill children with respiratory insufficiency: A call to action?

Background & Aims: Adequate energy-protein intake is associated with improved clinical outcomes in critically ill children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the time of enteral nutrition (EN) onset and the energy-protein intake in critically ill pediatric patients admitted with respiratory insufficiency.

Methods: A single-center prospective cohort study, including children and adolescents, aged from 1 month to 14 years.

Transthyretin levels: Potential biomarker for monitoring nutritional support efficacy and clinical complications risk in patients receiving parenteral nutrition.

Unlabelled: Nutritional support is an effective strategy to restore or maintain nutritional status, to reduce clinical complications, hospitalization period and the morbidity/mortality risk of hospitalized patients. So, a good marker is important to evaluate the nutritional support.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the evolution of transthyretin levels in patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) during 14 days.

PROTEIN NEEDS OF CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS RECEIVING PARENTERAL NUTRITION.

Background: assess whether the current protein intake recommendations may improve the biochemical parameters of critical patients receiving parenteral nutrition.

Methods: longitudinal study with three evaluations made (during the first 72 hours, on the 7th and the 14th days of PN). The following tests were applied: albumin, C-reactive protein, prealbumin, total cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides, lymphocytes, and glutathione peroxidase.