ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: All hospitalized patients should be screened for malnutrition risk. No universal method exists for pediatric patients. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study comparing three published malnutrition risk screening tools (PYMS, STAMP, and STRONGkids), applying them to each inpatient aged 1 month to 17 years over a period of five consecutive weekdays in Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. RESULTS: Of the eligible patients, 67% (n = 69) participated. We found that 6.2% of the children were acutely malnourished and accurately categorized by the three tools. STRONGkids showed the highest specificity (100%) and positive predictive value (36%). Acute malnutrition seemed to be associated with longer hospital stay (p = 0.051). CONCLUSION: STRONGkids was the most accurate screening tool for detecting acute malnutrition and was therefore chosen as the screening method in our hospital. Routine screening for the risk of malnutrition in pediatric inpatients is important in detecting at-risk children who would otherwise be left without dietary intervention.
Subject(s)
Malnutrition/epidemiology , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Finland/epidemiology , Hospitals, Pediatric , Humans , Infant , Length of Stay , Male , Nutrition Assessment , Risk Assessment , Tertiary Care CentersABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Diet during pregnancy and lactation may have a role in the development of allergic diseases. There are few human studies on the topic, especially focusing on food allergies. We sought to study the associations between maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation and cow's milk allergy (CMA) in offspring. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A population-based birth cohort with human leukocyte antigen-conferred susceptibility to type 1 diabetes was recruited in Finland between 1997 and 2004 (n=6288). Maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation was assessed by a validated, 181-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Register-based information on diagnosed CMA was obtained from the Social Insurance Institution and completed with parental reports. The associations between maternal food consumption and CMA were assessed using logistic regression, comparing the highest and the lowest quarters to the middle half of consumption. RESULTS: Consumption of milk products in the highest quarter during pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of CMA in offspring (odds ratio (OR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37-0.86; P<0.01). When stratified by maternal allergic rhinitis and asthma, there was evidence of an inverse association between high use of milk products and CMA in offspring of non-allergic mothers (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.13-0.69, P<0.001). Cord blood IgA correlated positively with the consumption of milk products during pregnancy, indicating exposure to CMA and activation of antigen-specific immunity in the infant during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: High maternal consumption of milk products during pregnancy may protect children from developing CMA, especially in offspring of non-allergic mothers.
Subject(s)
Diet/adverse effects , Lactation/physiology , Milk Hypersensitivity/etiology , Milk/adverse effects , Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/etiology , Adult , Animals , Child, Preschool , Diet Surveys , Female , Fetal Blood/immunology , Finland , Humans , Immunoglobulin A/analysis , Infant , Logistic Models , Male , Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena/physiology , Milk Hypersensitivity/prevention & control , PregnancyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The basic treatment for cow's milk allergy (CMA) is the elimination of all cow's milk proteins (CMP) from the diet. This study aimed at characterizing the diet of children with a diagnosis of CMA, to assess the degree of adherence to the elimination diet and to evaluate the factors associated with the adherence and age of recovery. SUBJECTS/METHODS: From a birth cohort study, food records of 267 children diagnosed with CMA were studied to define how strictly the elimination diet was adhered to. Subsequent food records were studied to assess the age at reintroduction of milk products in the child's diet. RESULTS: The families adhered to the elimination diet of the child with extreme accuracy in 85% of the cases. Older and monosensitized children had more often small amounts of CMP in their diet, possibly because of the absence of nutritional information by a dietitian/nutritionist. Adherence to the diet was neither related to any other sociodemographic factor studied nor to the age at reintroduction of milk products into the diet. CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic elimination diet of children diagnosed with CMA was well adhered to. Low intakes of vitamin D, calcium, and riboflavin are of concern in children who follow or have followed a cow's milk-free diet.
