Telemedicine in nutritional management of children with severe neurological impairment: implication for quality of life

Veronica Maria Tagi; Francesca Eletti; Jonabell Dolor; Gianvincenzo Zuccotti; Chiara Montanari; Elvira Verduci

doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1452880

Telemedicine in nutritional management of children with severe neurological impairment: implication for quality of life

Front Nutr. 2024 Aug 19:11:1452880. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1452880. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Veronica Maria Tagi^{1

2}, Francesca Eletti^{1

2}, Jonabell Dolor¹, Gianvincenzo Zuccotti^{1

2}, Chiara Montanari^{1

2}, Elvira Verduci^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Vittore Buzzi Children's Hospital, Milan, Italy.
² Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
³ Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
⁴ Metabolic Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Vittore Buzzi Children's Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.

Abstract

Children with severe neurological impairment (SNI) frequently present feeding problems requiring a close monitoring of their nutritional status. In addition to constant clinical monitoring of body composition and nutritional indexes in these patients, frequent reports of dietary intake and weight gain variations are useful to ensure proper nutritional management. Furthermore, non-oral feeding is often needed to avoid malnutrition or aspiration pneumonia, constantly necessitating medical assistance. Despite their necessity for frequent hospital accesses, these patients' disabilities represent an important obstacle to accessing care, generating anxiety and concern in children and their families. Telemedicine has proven to be a promising instrument for improving pediatric patients' healthcare in several fields. By breaking down geographical and temporal barriers, telehealth may represent a valuable tool to implement in clinical practice, in order to improve patients' outcomes and quality of life. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an overview of the main nutritional issues in children with SNI, the potential implications of telemedicine in their management and the available evidence regarding the effects and benefits of telehealth.

Keywords: children; dysphagia; neurological impairment; nutrition; telehealth; telemedicine.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Project performed within the MUSA—Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action—project, funded by the European Union—NextGenerationEU, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) Mission 4 Component 2 Investment Line 1.5: Strenghtening of research structures and creation of R&D “innovation ecosystems,” set up of “territorial leaders in R&D.”