Nutritional assessment and risk of malnutrition in hospitalised children in northern Italy

Hospital malnutrition is a state in which a deficiency or imbalance of energy, proteins and other nutrients causes measurable adverse effects on functional and clinical outcomes. The nutritional status of children often declines after admission to the hospital, possibly slowing recovery time and increasing susceptibility to infection.The reported prevalence of malnutrition in paediatric hospitals ranges from 6 to 30% (1) and may also depend on the operational definition of malnutrition and the study population (2). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.