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Dietary intake and changes in body weight in burned children
C Childs1, T Hall, P J Davenport
1University of Manchester, North Western Injury Research Centre, UK.
Insights
Pediatric burn patients experienced significant weight loss and inadequate nutritional intake during hospitalization. Many children did not regain their pre-burn weight even after discharge, impacting long-term growth.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Burn Care
- Nutritional Support in Pediatrics
- Growth and Development Post-Injury
Background:
- Burn injuries in children can lead to significant physiological stress, including weight loss and altered nutritional status.
- Assessing the long-term impact of burns on a child's weight and growth is crucial for effective recovery and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate weight changes and nutritional intake in pediatric burn patients during hospitalization.
- To assess the long-term effects of burn injuries on children's weight and growth trajectory.
Main Methods:
- Serial body weight measurements were taken for hospitalized pediatric burn patients.
- Dietary intake was assessed by weighing meals for a subset of patients.
- Weight centile tracking was performed for outpatients attending a burns aftercare clinic.
Main Results:
- Hospitalized children (7 months–13 years) with burns (10–58% total body surface area) lost 6–13% of their admission weight and did not regain it by discharge.
- Energy and protein intake were frequently below recommended levels for pediatric burn patients and healthy children.
- Outpatient children (6 months–7 years post-burn) often remained below their pre-burn weight centile, indicating a failure to 'catch up' in growth.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric burn injuries result in substantial weight loss and inadequate nutritional intake during acute care.
- Long-term follow-up reveals persistent growth deficits in children who have experienced burn injuries.
- Optimizing nutritional support and monitoring growth are essential components of pediatric burn care and rehabilitation.
Abstract:
Two groups of children were studied. In the first group serial measurements of body weight were made during the child's stay in hospital. In 11 patients, aged 7 months to 13 years, admitted with 10-58 per cent burns, the maximum weight loss was between 6 and 13 per cent of admission weight. Patients had not regained their admission weight at discharge (8-77 days after injury). In the youngest patients, the discharge weight corresponded with the maximum recorded weight loss. In five of the 11 patients dietary intake was calculated by weighing the foods in meals. This was done on average twice per week. Energy and protein intake was below that recommended for children with burns and often lower than that recommended for healthy children. In the second group of 10 patients, 6 months to 7 years had elapsed since the burn. These children were outpatients attending the Burns Aftercare Clinic. Six of the children were at a lower weight centile position when compared to the position at the time of the accident. The children had not 'caught up' to their original centile position.