# Expert opinion on standard of care in pediatric malnutrition: a multidisciplinary perspective focusing on the context of ABCDs

## TL;DR

Experts propose a multidisciplinary standard of care for pediatric malnutrition, emphasizing assessment, diagnosis, and tailored nutritional interventions.

## Contribution

A multidisciplinary framework for standardizing care in pediatric malnutrition, focusing on ABCDs.

## Key findings

- Routine assessment of growth and development is essential for early detection of malnutrition.
- Optimal nutritional products should provide at least 10% of calories from protein.
- Tailored strategies like stabilization and catch-up growth are recommended based on malnutrition type and severity.

## Abstract

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.