Oral protein calorie supplementation for children with chronic disease

Growth failure and poor nutritional status are common features in children with chronic diseases due to reduced appetite, malabsorption and increased nutritional requirements associated with some diseases. The provision of oral protein calorie supplements is one of a number of interventions used to improve nutritional status in these children. The use of these products, which are expensive, may be associated with a number of adverse effects, for example, they may effect development of normal eating behaviour patterns or lead to unpleasant symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea.

To examine the evidence that in children with chronic disease, oral protein calorie supplements alter daily nutrient intake, nutritional indices, survival and quality of life and are associated with adverse effects, for example diarrhoea, vomiting, reduced appetite, glucose intolerance, bloating and eating behaviour problems.

All publications describing RCTs of the use of oral protein calorie supplements in children with chronic diseases were identified through comprehensive electronic database searches, handsearching relevant journals and handsearching abstract books of conference proceedings. The companies which market oral protein calorie supplements were also contacted.

All randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing use of oral protein calorie supplements for at least one month to increase calorie intake with existing conventional therapy, which may include nutritional advice on how to improve nutritional intake from food or no specific intervention, in children with chronic disease.

The following outcomes were assessed: indices of nutrition and growth, anthropometric measures of body composition, calorie and nutrient intake (total, from oral protein calorie supplements and from food), eating behaviour, compliance, quality of life, specific adverse effects and disease severity scores, and mortality.

Three trials have been identified as being suitable for inclusion in the review and we are awaiting further data from one of these trials. All of these trials were carried out in children with cystic fibrosis. Few statistical differences could be found between the treatment and control groups apart from change in total fat intake at three months (weighted mean difference 69.20 [95% CI 11.05, 127.35]). However, this was based on the results of only one, small study. No trials have been identified which assess the effectiveness of oral protein calorie supplements in children with other chronic diseases.

Oral protein calorie supplements are widely used to improve the nutritional status of children with a number of chronic diseases. We have only been able to identify a small number of trials assessing these products in children with cystic fibrosis and have been unable to draw any conclusions based on the limited data extracted from these. We therefore recommend that a series of large, randomised controlled trials are undertaken investigating the use of these products in children with different chronic diseases. Until further data are available, we would suggest that these products are only used with caution.