Risk of Deficit in the Nutritional Status of Children Hospitalized at Admission vs More than Seven Days

During growth and development, children are characterized by a high demand for nutrients, particularly in infant and pubertal stage. Research has shown how the nutritional status may be affected during hospitalization. It has been observed in many hospitals worldwide, the frequency of weight loss during hospitalization in the pediatric population and between 7 and 51% of hospitalized patients. The aim was to show that the nutritional status of children admitted to hospital differs from the nutritional status of children who remain in the hospital longer than seven days. Methods In a prospective study of the subject as its own control, with a non‐random sampling in site concentration, 746 participants hospitalized in the last 24 hours each day, Monday through Friday, that met the criteria inclusion and informed consent was signed were included. Anthropometric assessment (weight, height, c. cephalic and arm circumference) at admission and stay seven days was performed. Wilcoxon test, chi‐square test and odds ratios to identify the epidemiological significance was estimated. The research protocol was approved by bioethics committees of the Hospital Civil of Guadalajara Dr. Juan I. Menchaca. Results Infants were the most affected age group at the hospital admission in both acute deficit indicators (weight/height and BMI) as well as in indicators of chronic deficit index (height/age and head circumference). One might speculate that the impact on acute and chronic deficits improved over the years since it was very evident how in school children and adolescents, almost all anthropometric indicators were normalized; however, also it is possible for the current school and adolescents had had a better nutritional status ten or more years ago. The risk of the anthropometric deficit was significantly higher in the population after the seven days of admission to hospital. The odds ratio of deficit height/age index and head circumference were different but in either cases meant previous or chronic malnutrition, table 1. One likely reason is that the head circumference was measured only in children under three years and the height/age index in the entire study population. Conclusion Patients with longer hospitalization involve greater risk of the nutritional status. Infants are the most vulnerable group to malnutrition at admission that improved at seven days while adolescents showed greater impairment of nutritional status during their hospitalization. Support or Funding Information National Council for Science and Technology of Mexico 1 Risk deficit of indicators anthropometric in children hospitalized more than seven days vs less than seven daysIndicator ≥ seven days < seven days OR CI P n/N % n/N %Weight/a 54/154 35 64/428 15 3.07 2.01–4.7 p<0.001 Weight/height 28/120 23.3 29/302 9.6 2.9 1.6–5.07 p<0.001 BMI/age 52/206 25.2 58/555 10.5 2.9 1.9–4.4 p<0.001 Height/age 42/206 20.3 70/565 12.4 1.77 1.16–2.7 p= 0.007 C. Cephalic 31/97 32 33/221 14.9 2.68 1.5–4.7 p<0.001