Nutritional Assessment should be an integral part of the care for every pediatric patient. Good nutrition in infancy and childhood is essential for normal growth and development. Poor growth in terms of height , weight can be due to nutritional deficiency leading vitamin deficiency in the child. Vitamin deficiencies can lead to repeated infections, allergies in the child. This can be due to
1. Inadequate food intake – picky eaters
2. Secondary to repeated infection, injury, or disease
3. Food allergies
4. Malabsorption
Comprehensive nutritional assessment involves comprehensive evaluation done
1. History : medical, social, nutritional history
2. Clinical evaluation with anthropometric measurement, growth charts, signs of deficiencies
3. Laboratory test for biochemical evaluation.
