CSP Pediatric Nutrition Evaluation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which anthropometric index is most sensitive for detecting acute malnutrition in children under 5 years?
- Height-for-age z-score
- Weight-for-height z-score (Correct answer)
- BMI-for-age z-score
- Mid-upper arm circumference only
Correct answer: Weight-for-height z-score
Weight-for-height z-score reflects current nutritional status and is most sensitive for acute (wasting) malnutrition.
Question 2: When calculating estimated energy needs for a hospitalized pediatric patient using the Schofield equation, what variable is NOT included?
- Weight
- Height
- Age
- Serum albumin (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Serum albumin
The Schofield equation uses weight, height, and age to estimate basal metabolic rate; serum albumin is a biochemical marker, not an equation variable.
Question 3: A 3-year-old presents with pitting edema, adequate weight-for-height, and sparse reddish hair. Which condition best explains these findings?
- Marasmus
- Kwashiorkor (Correct answer)
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Zinc deficiency
Correct answer: Kwashiorkor
Kwashiorkor is characterized by edema, skin and hair changes, and often preserved or elevated weight due to fluid retention.
Question 4: Which tool is validated specifically to screen nutritional risk in hospitalized pediatric patients?
- MNA-SF
- STAMP (Correct answer)
- SGA
- NRS-2002
Correct answer: STAMP
STAMP (Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Paediatrics) is validated for hospitalized children aged 2-17 years.
Question 5: When evaluating dietary recall data in a school-age child, which limitation is most significant?
- Overestimation of vegetable intake
- Inability to assess micronutrient intake
- Reliance on memory accuracy (Correct answer)
- Exclusion of weekend eating patterns
Correct answer: Reliance on memory accuracy
Dietary recall accuracy depends heavily on the child's or caregiver's ability to remember portion sizes and foods consumed.
Question 6: A registered dietitian notices a 9-month-old's length has dropped from the 50th to the 10th percentile over 3 months. The most appropriate next step is to:
- Reassure the family that this is normal catch-down growth
- Initiate comprehensive nutrition and medical evaluation (Correct answer)
- Recommend a high-calorie formula immediately
- Recheck growth in 6 months
Correct answer: Initiate comprehensive nutrition and medical evaluation
A two-major-percentile drop in length over 3 months warrants comprehensive evaluation to identify underlying medical or nutritional causes.
Question 7: Which biochemical marker is most useful for assessing long-term protein-energy status in pediatric patients?
- Prealbumin
- C-reactive protein
- Transferrin
- Serum albumin (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Serum albumin
Serum albumin, with its ~20-day half-life, reflects longer-term protein status compared to shorter-half-life markers like prealbumin.
CSP Pediatric Nutrition Evaluation 2
Which anthropometric index is most sensitive for detecting acute malnutrition in children under 5 years?