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Nutritional requirements in parasitic diseases.
Reviews of Infectious Diseases
|July 1, 1982
Summary
Disease increases nutritional needs, but current standards may not account for this. Studies show growth deficits from illness are small, yet sick children struggle to compensate, highlighting the need for family-centered nutritional support.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Nutritional requirements are typically defined by national or international standards.
- Disease states can significantly alter an individual's nutrient needs.
- Existing standards may not adequately address increased requirements during illness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of disease on nutritional requirements in children.
- To assess the adequacy of current nutritional standards in disease contexts.
- To explore the relationship between infectious diseases, growth deficits, and nutritional intake.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing studies on growth deficits in children with endemic infectious diseases.
- Estimation of daily energy deficits based on tissue growth and parasite treatment data.
- Assessment of energy and protein absorption in affected children.
Main Results:
- Average growth deficit due to endemic infectious diseases in early life is estimated at ≤20 kcal/day.
- Weight gain post-treatment for intestinal parasites aligns with these deficit estimates.
- Sick children exhibit reduced food intake and insufficient compensatory eating on healthy days.
Conclusions:
- Observed growth deficits from disease are within normal variance, but compensatory eating is inadequate.
- Current nutritional requirements may need adjustment for disease conditions.
- Future research should focus on family-level food resource management for children's nutritional health.