Predicting energy requirements of pediatric patients with disease: which methods are appropriate?

Children with disease that are admitted to hospitals are vulnerable to an inadequate intake of energy and essential nutrients. Therefore, adequate diet is important to meet their growing energy needs and to help reduce malnutrition-related incidence of morbidity and mortality. An effective nutritional support among pediatric patients in the clinical setting depends largely on accurate estimation of energy requirements. Hence, recommendation for calorie intake based on measurements of total energy expenditure of pediatric patients is highly warranted. Currently, numerous assessment methods for determining energy expenditure are available and feasible for use among children. However, it is important for clinicians to understand the strengths and limitations of these different techniques in order to optimize the outcome during recovery of their patients. Advocating appropriate recommendation is essential for the enhancement of nutritional support management for patients in a cost-effective manner.