[Nutritional support strategies in pediatric cancer patients in Mexico].

BACKGROUND

Meeting the nutritional needs of pediatric patients on oncology services in low budget public hospitals of Mexico is a continuous challenge, due to its financial resources.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of a nutritional strategy for children and adolescents with cancer in a public hospital of Mexico, based on a complacency diet.

METHODS

Across-sectional study included 58 children and adolescents (1-18 years old). An assessment of nutritional status was applied and a dietary diary was elaborated for 24 hours with the double weight method.

RESULTS

43 patients (74.4%) had an adequate nutritional status. The average energy intake was 72.8% and average protein intake 168.3% of the requirements. The hospital meals accounted for 67.5% of the energy intake, 28.5% resulted from snacks and 3.9% from oral nutritional supplements or polymeric smoothies.

CONCLUSION

The nutritional strategy based on offering a menu at the request supported by smoothies or oral nutritional supplements and the permission to introduce snacks to the hospital offers convenience and flexibility for meal times and favors the energy intake in hospitalized pediatric oncology patients.