Nearly 1 in 2 paediatric patients with chronic diseases are malnourished1. Undernutrition in early life may not only result in impaired immune function, increased risk of infection, poor wound healing and GI dysfunction, but may lead to faltering growth and may delay normal feeding development and the onset of puberty2-10.
Poor weight gain from birth to 6-8 weeks of life is a stronger predictor of developmental delay than poor weight gain over the remainder of the first year, highlighting the importance of acting quickly11.