Expert opinion on standard of care in pediatric malnutrition: a multidisciplinary perspective focusing on the context of ABCDs
Articles > Article ยท 2026
Authors: Omer Faruk Beser, Kursat Bora Carman, Fugen Cullu-Cokugras, Buket Dalgic, Aydan Kansu, Mehmet KANTAR, Hasan Ozen, Hasan Tekgul, Bulent Unay
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS, Journal Indexed in SCI, International, WoS, 2026, vol 14, pp 1-15
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2026.1756490
Summary
This review by a multidisciplinary panel of pediatric gastroenterology, pediatric neurology, and pediatric oncology experts aimed to address the standard of care in pediatric malnutrition in a context of ABCDs: A- Anthropometric assessment, B- Etiology-based evaluation, C- Nutritional Intervention & Treatment and D- Individualization & Restoration. The proposed standard of care in pediatric malnutrition involves routine assessment of growth and development at every pediatric visit, timely diagnosis and etiological classification of malnutrition, selection of optimal nutritional product meeting specific energy and protein requirements (such as energy- and protein-rich formulas with proteins constituting at least 10% of total calories), and implementation of appropriate nutritional intervention strategies tailored to the type and severity of malnutrition. These strategies may include stabilization, catch-up growth, nutritional rehabilitation, and restoration treatment using peptide-based enteral formulas, depending on the clinical context.