P L A I N L A N G U A G E S U M M A R Y
Nutrition for critically ill children in paediatric intensive care units
There is little evidence to support or refute the need to provide nutrition to critically ill children in a paediatric intensive care unit
during the first week of their critical illness.
Giving nutrition in the form of tube feeding (enteral) or intravenous feeding (parenteral) is often considered a priority during critical
illness in children. There are reasons to think this may not necessarily be true. During critical illness the body’s metabolism is changed
and the need for calories is reduced. There are known side effects from giving too much nutrition, such as delays in being able to take
the child off a respiratory ventilator, liver problems, and worsened inflammation.
We found only one small randomized controlled trial that compared early feeding (within 24 hours of injury) with conventional feeding
(after at least 48 hours). The trial showed no differences between the groups for any of the outcomes examined. Further research in
this area is urgently needed to help guide optimal treatment of children with critical illness. In a recent search update (February 2016)
we identified a protocol for a relevant randomized controlled study; however, no results have yet been published.