The role of a hospital Nutrition Support Team

Nutrition and health are so interrelated that each has a bearing on the other. Malnutrition and undernutrition make children more vulnerable to infections and chronic illness. Similarly chronic illness can affect nutritional wellbeing adversely. The prevalence of malnutrition amongst children in hospital in the developed world is between 15 and 30%. Early Nutrition Support Team involvement and intervention can prevent and/or treat malnutrition by choosing appropriate nutritional interventions and help in early identification and prevention of central line infections. In addition they facilitate the appropriate initiation of parenteral nutrition and avoid unnecessary episodes of parenteral nutrition. Staff education is also a key role. This review explores malnutrition, the role of a paediatric Nutrition Support Team in hospital along with its clinical and financial benefits.