Growth and nutritional risk in children with developmental delay

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Nutritional risk significantly impacts the outcomes for children with developmental delay.
• Identifying the incidence and contributing factors to growth faltering is essential for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of nutritional risk and factors associated with growth faltering in children with developmental delay.
• To assess the prevalence of various weight categories and nutritional difficulties in this population.

Main Methods:

• A clinical data review of 500 patients with developmental delay in an Early Intervention service was conducted.
• A standardized parent nutrition screening checklist was used, with data compared to nutritional assessment data and dietary guidelines.
• Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.

Main Results:

• Nutritional risk was identified in 48.6% of patients. Growth faltering (13.5%) was correlated with younger age and specific gestational age ranges.
• Nutritional difficulties were common, including feeding problems (29.1%), behavioral feeding issues (13.9%), and inadequate intake of iron (20.9%) and calcium (4.5%).
• Poor parental recognition of nutritional risk was noted in 22.7% of cases, and constipation affected 21.6%.

Conclusions:

• Developmental delay is a significant risk factor for nutritional deficits, which in turn affect developmental outcomes.
• Routine screening, thorough assessment, and prompt nutritional interventions are vital to improve developmental trajectories.