View clinical trials related to Malnutrition.
Filter by:Malnutrition is a common problem in the neonatal intensive care unit. Recent studies indicate that prematurely born neonates commonly develop a severe nutritional deficit during the first weeks after birth, referred to as extrauterine growth restriction. Despite an increase in growth during the second month of hospitalization, many neonates are ultimately discharged home having grown inadequately. The early nutritional deficit affects weight gain as well as growth in length and head circumference. Growth measurements such as weight, length, and head circumference, however, are macroscopic measures of nutritional status and underestimate the physiologic consequences of prolonged nutritional deprivation. Energy and micronutrient deficiencies alter growth at a cellular and tissue level before macroscopic measures are altered. In the brain, for instance, energy is required for cell division and neuronal growth, glial cell function, and myelination. Energy deprivation may consequently alter neuronal function and growth, resulting in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Immunocompetence also appears to be sensitive to the untoward effects of energy and nutritional deficiency. Malnourished neonates often exhibit immune deficiencies related to inadequate protein intake that compound an already immature immune system. Such immunodeficiency results in susceptibility to infectious agents that creates substantial morbidity and mortality to the course of intensive care for premature infants. A recent study suggests that postnatal malnutrition and growth restriction are inevitable if current recommended dietary intakes are followed. Multicenter studies show that variation in dietary intake accounts for 45% of the variation in growth. Hence, efforts have focused on determining whether nutritional deficiency and the observed growth restriction of premature infants can be prevented through the use of more optimal nutritional intake. In addition, inadequate protein support may be a primary cause for growth failure. Based on animal studies showing high in utero amino acid flux observed during the latter phase of gestation, Thureen et al have suggested the use of higher doses of amino acid supplementation in order to minimize growth restriction and improve outcomes of premature infants. However there are no large human trials that demonstrate that this approach promotes better growth or that it is safe. While small doses of amino acids may be inadequate to promote normal growth, high doses may lead to elevated serum amino acid levels and increase the occurrence of toxicity. Through the implementation of a multicenter, randomized trial and tandem mass spectrometry, the investigators propose to evaluate the effects of two distinct strategies of amino acid supplementation on serum amino acid profiles and growth of premature infants during the first 28 days of life.
This study will determine whether lactobacillus GG (LGG), a beneficial bacterium, when given in yogurt, will reduce growth faltering in babies living in a poor area of Pakistan who are being weaned from breastfeeding. Study hypothesis: Use of the probiotic bacteria LGG at the time of weaning will lessen the impact of faltering growth in babies living in the slums of Pakistan.
Optimizing the social and physical ambiance during mealtimes in Dutch nursing homes: implementation and evaluation of the effect with respect to quality of life, nutritional status and physical performance.
Hospital-acquired infections can occur five times as frequently in rehabilitation patients than in other hospital admissions. We postulate that this high infection rate may be due to nutritional problems frequently experienced in these patients. In this study, we examine the role of nutrition in inpatient geriatric rehabilitation patients' immune function and infection rates.
The purpose of this study is to study the effects of nursing home visits in independently living elderly people on their functional performance and health-related quality of life. The general practitioner (GP) can refer elderly people to this intervention model after identification of a problem in cognition, mood, behavior, mobility, or nutrition. A specialist geriatric nurse visits the patients at home up to six times and coaches the patient in cooperation with the GP and geriatrician.
It is believed that the organs of severely malnourished children malfunction because harmful compounds called oxidants injure the tissues in these organs. In a healthy person oxidants are made harmless because another compound called glutathione neutralizes them. Glutathione is made from three amino acids that we get from the protein we eat in our food. We found that malnourished children were not making enough glutathione because they lacked one of these amino acids called cysteine. In this study we determine why malnourished children do not have sufficient cysteine, and we will feed malnourished children a whey-based diet which is rich in cysteine during their treatment to determine whether they will make more glutathione. This in turn may make their organs recover faster. These findings will let us know whether malnourished children can recover faster if they are given more cysteine during the early phase of treatment.
RATIONALE: An individualized, computer-designed health program may promote changes in diet and physical activity and may improve quality of life in patients who have early-stage prostate cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of an individualized, computer-designed diet and exercise-based counseling program with that of a standard counseling program in promoting health in patients who have early-stage prostate cancer.
RATIONALE: Telephone counseling by a nutritionist and a personal trainer may improve physical function and quality of life in patients who have early-stage breast cancer or prostate cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of a home-based, diet and exercise-based counseling program with that of a standard home-based counseling program in promoting health in patients who have early-stage breast cancer or prostate cancer.