Patients with cystic fibrosis require maintaining optimal nutrition and normal growth. Nutritional failure is a common occurrence in patients with cystic fibrosis (McCloskey, & Redmond, 2001).
Enzyme replacement therapy: replacement of pancreatic enzymes is recommended in order to assist in digestion of any food consumed with exemption of food that totally free of fat, starch and proteins. Due to impairment of insulin secreting cells, patients with CF should modify their diet to regulate type of food and taken them at appropriate time (Pencharz, 2000). Caloric requirement: children who are under enzyme therapy must take approximately 120-150 % of calories for a normal child with similar characteristics (age and sex).
Protein requirement: due higher caloric requirement in CF, patients should take increased proteins more than in a normal person as energy requirements in CF is highly incrased and the body needs to get constant supply of energy. The recommended amount is normally 0.9-1 g protein/kg body weight for those aged 1-18 years; 0.75g protein/kg body weight for adults (Bines, 2002).
Carbohydrate requirements: this should as high as protein requirements.
Fat requirements: CF patients should consume high amounts of fat as it provides twice as much calorie as proteins and carbohydrates, fat conversion into energy requires less energy than in protein and carbohydrates.
Salt Requirement: more salt is normally lost through sweating as CF patients sweat more compared to others. This should be countered by increasing normal food intake.
Vitamin and Mineral Intake: children (up to 2 years) should take a fluid preparation of multivitamins. Adults should take 2 tablets of multivitamin tablets. Vitamin supplementation is encouraged to help meet vitamin requirements (Bell, & Shepherd, 2002).
Nutritional plan for pediatric patients should be instituted right from birth where by exclusive breastfeeding is encouraged and in cases where breast feeding is contraindicated, breast milk should be initiated. Guideline on nutrition should be developed and all stakeholders including parents and guardians sanitized on it. The nutritional plan should be easy to implement and monitor in order for the parents and other people using it can make good use of it without difficulties (Wilson, & Pencharz, 1998).
References
- Bell, S.C. & Shepherd, R.W., (2002). Optimizing nutrition in cystic fibrosis. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, 1: 47-50.
- Bines, J.E., (2002). Energy metabolism in infants with cystic fibrosis. Journal of Pediatrics, 140(5): 527-33.
- McCloskey, M., & Redmond, A. O. (2001) Total energy expenditure in stable patients with cystic fibrosis. Clinical Nutrition, 20(3): 235-41
- Pencharz, P.B., (2000). Pathogenesis of malnutrition in cystic fibrosis, and its treatment. Clinical Nutrition, 19(6): 387-94
- Wilson, D.C. and Pencharz, P.B., (1998). Nutrition and cystic fibrosis. Nutrition, 14: 792-795.