What You Should Know about the New Pediatric Nutrition Screening Tool

Keeping our kids healthy is of monumental importance, especially in a world that is brimming with bad choices and dangerous temptations. A lot of hospitals and pediatric specialists regularly screen kids for nutrient deficiency during routine checkups. However, a new pediatric nutrition screening tool might be changing the way things are done for patients and professionals. In fact, this new technique is often hailed by experts as more effective than any previous nutrition assessment. Because of its increasing popularity, it is essential that you understand the basics of this newly developed tool.

What’s the Big Deal?

As luck would have it, the new pediatric nutrition screening tool renders a much more accurate result for pediatricians and patients. Indeed, the standard testing procedures were generally able to identify a problem, but they were not inclusive enough. The new techniques increased identification by a margin of 3.4 percent on average. On top of that, the new test is even able to point out which patients have a low Body Mass Index (BMI) as well. This difference, though seemingly small to the layperson, is what will allow nutritionists and pediatricians to more accurately diagnose children with health issues. 

What Health Issues Can the New Test Identify?

Kids who have nutritional issues can eventually experience a whole host of health problems. As parents and caretakers, it is our job to give them the most accurate and comprehensive medical care possible. These avoidable childhood health issues caused by malnutrition include, but are not limited to:

• Reduced immunities
• Slower cognitive abilities
• Lowered physical development
• More negative clinical outcomes
• Dental degeneration or malformations

This new pediatric nutrition screening tool consists of only four simple questions, but it is being hailed as the most effective detection tool on the medical market—at least according to the American Society of Parental and Enteral Nutrition, or A.S.P.E.N. This is exciting news for patients who have to succumb to uncomfortable testing, and the detection of nutritional problems with this new screen tool could help healthcare providers intervene with effective treatment options before it is too late.

What’s the Final Verdict?

While the new pediatric nutrition screening tool is still under development for the most part, it still offers promising results for the future of pediatrics. More studies are underway in an effort to validate the findings. Talk to your doctor for more information.