SynthesisFrontiers in pediatrics2026
Nutrition protocols improve caloric adequacy in critically Ill children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Malnutrition is common among critically ill children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Despite established guidelines, real-world caloric delivery consistently falls short. Structured nutritional protocols have been proposed to close this gap, yet no prior meta-analysis has quantified their pooled effect on caloric adequacy specifically in PICU patients. Methods: We searched through PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from January 2015 to March 2026. Studies enrolling critically ill children (≤18 years) in the PICU with a comparison group and at least one nutritional delivery outcome were eligible. The primary outcome was caloric adequacy. A random-effects model was used for pooling effect. Subgroup analyses, meta-regression, sensitivity analyses, and publication bias assessments were conducted. Results: Nine studies enrolling 1,992 children across six countries were included. Nutritional protocols were associated with a pooled mean difference of +21.98% in caloric adequacy ( Conclusions: Structured nutritional protocols meaningfully improve caloric adequacy in critically ill children, regardless of whether nurses lead their implementation. These findings support the wider adoption of protocolized feeding as a standard of care in PICUs globally.
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