The Effect of Nutritional Consultation on the Level of Malnutrition and Growth Indices in Children with Cystic Fibrosis

Background: Malnutrition is one of the most common disorders among children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The present study aimed to investigate the effect of nutritional consultation on the type and severity of malnutrition in children with CF. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 78 children with CF referred to Mofid Pediatric Hospital, Tehran, Iran, in 2017-2018. Their parents filled the demographic questionnaire. Participants with malnutrition were undergoing the assessment on growth indices, including weight, height, ideal body weight, mid upper arm circumference, and Z score. Moreover, the nutritional consultations were considered for them (30-45 minutes). Children and their parents were consulted and trained about total daily calorie acquirement, type, number of the meal, amount of food intake, drinks, and avoided eating of any low-calorie food like snacks, during the consultation. All patients were reassessed three months later for growth indices. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22.0. Results: We assessed 78 children with CF, 21 (26%) of them had mild, 26 (34%) moderate malnutrition, and 31 (40%) severe malnutrition. The result showed that nutritional intervention was effective. Consequently, 1 (3.8%) of the moderately malnourished child was improved to mild malnutrition and 5 (27.8%) children under five years old were improved from severe to moderate malnutrition. Moreover, 1 (5.6%) child were improved from severe to mild, and 2 (15.4%) of children over five years old were improved from severe to moderate malnutrition. Conclusion: According to the results, the early growth assessment in hospitalized and outpatient, diagnosis of malnutrition and nutritional intervention will be useful in improving the severity of malnutrition and growth indices in children with CF.