Pediatric
Nutrition

Inadequate nutrition and, more recently, overnutrition in infants and children have immediate consequences for health and well-being, growth, and
development and can lead to long-term, intergenerational effects on health,
reproduction, cognition, and chronic disease. Overweight affects a significant proportion of the pediatric population in countries that span the levels
of the United Nations Human Development Index. In some communities,
as many as 60% of school-aged children are overweight. At the same time,
undernutrition, stunting, and food insecurity remain major public health
issues for infants and children across the globe. With the projected increase
in population over the coming decades and the effects of climate change on
arable land, farming, and food production, it is critical to understand how
to best support the nutritional needs of growing infants and children and
how to sustainably provide safe and affordable nutrition. This 8th edition
of Pediatric Nutrition is meant to serve as a current and integrated resource
for the practicing clinician to provide an understanding of the fundamental
role of nutrients in human metabolism, the role of nutrition in the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses, and the interaction
between nutrients, the microbiome, and gene function. Every attempt has
been made to provide additional resources within each of the chapters that
include references to printed materials, links to web-based resources and
tools, and contacts for both government and private organizations that will
be useful for both clinicians and patients. This edition of the handbook is
the work of more than 100 authors and editors, all of whom are recognized
experts for the topics on which they have written. All chapters are intended
to reflect the current evidence base for each topic and the current policy
statements and recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Our most sincere thanks go to the Chair of the Committee on Nutrition,
Dr. Steve Abrams, and the current and past members of the committee who
have contributed to the preparation of this book