Paediatric Intensive Care Nutrition Top 10
- Can energy needs of babies on breathing machines be more accurately measured using indirect calorimetry?
- What are the long term feeding problems in relation to Post Intensive Care Syndrome once a child is discharged home from intensive care?
- Does a high protein feed formula combined with early mobilisation reduce muscle wasting in children on breathing machines?
- Can parents’ nutritional beliefs and preferences be better understood by healthcare professional and included into the care of their child on breathing machines?
- When should intravenous nutrition start in very underweight critically ill children who DO NOT have a working digestive system?
- What is the definition of feed intolerance in children on breathing machines?
- Does giving probiotics (healthy bacteria) reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections in children on breathing machines?
- Does a child’s swallowing change as a result of having needed a breathing tube?
- What strategies should be in place on PICU to help with parental bonding with their baby when breast feeding is not possible?
- Do the energy (calorie) needs change for children who have been on a breathing machine for more than 5 days with no change in activity level?
The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:
- Is feeding into the small bowel (postpyloric/jejunal) better tolerated than feeding into stomach in children who are receiving noninvasive ventilation (such as face mask—continuous positive airway pressure/BiPAP)?
- What is the impact of postintensive care syndrome on growth?
- Is bolus feeding better than slow continuous pump feeding in children on breathing machines?
- Can nonnutritive feeding (use of dummies/pacifier) reduce feeding aversion for infants on breathing machines?
- Can a low carbohydrate diet reduce illness related stress (sepsis) to infection (such as hyperlactatemia and hyperglycemia) in children on breathing machines?
- Can specific types of proteins (branch chain amino acids) reduce muscle loss in children who are on breathing machines for more than 7 days?
- Does giving probiotics in children on breathing machines reduce inflammation (cytokines)?
- Is there a safe dose of probiotics (healthy bacteria) for children with low immune function (immunosuppression or immunocompromised) on breathing machines?