A Feeding Adequacy Scale for Children With Bronchiolitis: Prospective Multicenter Study.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Clinical Assessment
• Health Outcomes Research

Background:

• Bronchiolitis is a common respiratory infection in infants, often leading to hospitalization and feeding difficulties.
• Assessing feeding adequacy is crucial for managing hospitalized infants and predicting discharge readiness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the measurement properties of the Feeding Adequacy Scale (FAS).
• To determine the feasibility, reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the FAS in young children hospitalized with bronchiolitis.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter cohort study involving 228 infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis.
• Caregivers and nurses completed the FAS, a 10-cm visual analog scale, to assess feeding.
• Measurement properties including feasibility, test-retest reliability, interrater reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The FAS was feasible for both caregivers and nurses, with no floor or ceiling effects.
• Moderate to good reliability was observed for test-retest (caregivers: ICC 0.73; nurses: ICC 0.75) and interrater assessments (ICC 0.55).
• The FAS demonstrated good construct validity and responsiveness, correlating with length of stay and readiness for discharge, and showing significant improvement from admission to discharge.

Conclusions:

• The Feeding Adequacy Scale (FAS) is a feasible, reliable, valid, and responsive measure for assessing feeding adequacy in infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis.
• Caregiver and nurse completion of the FAS provides valuable insights into infant feeding status during hospitalization and recovery.