MONDAY, March 16, 2026 (NewsDay News) — A clinical practice guideline published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, in collaboration with the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, provides recommendations for the diagnosis and management of weight in young pediatric patients. The manual was published online on March 16 Pediatrics.
Hans B. Kersten, MD, of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, and colleagues developed a clinical practice guideline to support health care providers who care for low birth weight infants. The term “developmental failure” was revised to weight loss, and z-score cutoffs were used as diagnostic criteria.
The authors note that the diagnosis of underweight is any weight-for-length body mass index (BMI)-for-age of less than -1.65 z-score; weight gain rate less than −2 z-score for age in children under 2 years; or a decrease in weight, weight for height, or BMI greater than or equal to 1 z-score. Eight Key Action Statements are provided and four Good Practice Statements are provided for additional guidance. Only children with specific conditions that show focal evaluation or persistent weight are recommended to undergo diagnostic testing. Endoscopy with biopsy is recommended for children who are persistently overweight or who are concerned about conditions that cannot be diagnosed without endoscopy. Use of increased food/energy calories, oral nutritional supplementation, and therapy for pediatric feeding disorders are recommended.
“The guidelines take a holistic child approach to assessment and treatment and recognize that safe, stable and nurturing relationships are necessary components of normal growth and development,” Kersten said in a statement. “The goals are to help doctors make accurate diagnoses, avoid unnecessary tests, and use health care resources wisely.”
