CPN CPE MMT key terms

A tape measurement of the left upper arm at the midpoint between the acromion and olecranon, used as a quick screen for muscle and fat stores and for severe acute malnutrition in children aged 6–59 months.

A measure comparing a child's weight with the median weight of children of the same height in a reference population, expressed in standard deviations; values below −3 indicate severe acute malnutrition.

Plotted positions showing the percentage of a reference population falling below a child's measurement for age or height; the 5th and 95th percentiles commonly flag nutritional concern on CDC or WHO charts.

The rate of change in length, height, or weight over time, calculated across at least two reliable measurements; falling velocity often reveals undernutrition before a single plotted point appears abnormal.

Accelerated weight or length gain above expected rates after a period of growth restriction or illness, reflecting restoration of lean tissue and often requiring increased energy and protein intake.

The average dietary energy intake predicted to maintain energy balance in a healthy child of a given age, sex, weight, height, and activity level, used as a starting point before individual adjustment.

The energy a child uses at rest for basic physiologic functions, often estimated by indirect calorimetry or predictive equations; it excludes activity and thermic effect of feeding.

A bedside method estimating energy expenditure from measured oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production, useful when predictive equations are unreliable in critically ill or unusual-body-composition children.

Inadequate weight gain or growth deceleration in infancy or early childhood relative to expected patterns, with causes spanning inadequate intake, increased losses, increased needs, and psychosocial factors.

A structured head-to-toe assessment for signs of nutrient deficiency or excess, including hair, eyes, mouth, skin, nails, muscle wasting, and edema, interpreted alongside history and laboratory data.

A clinical tool combining weight history, dietary intake, gastrointestinal symptoms, functional capacity, and physical findings to classify nutritional status as well nourished, moderately, or severely malnourished.

A rapid first-step process using validated tools and simple indicators to identify children who need a full nutrition assessment, ideally completed within 24 hours of hospital admission.

Insufficient zinc causing growth faltering, impaired wound healing, dermatitis, diarrhea, and immune dysfunction; children with malabsorption, vegetarian diets, or chronic diarrhea are at higher risk.

Anemia from insufficient iron stores, common in infants and toddlers, presenting with low hemoglobin, microcytosis, fatigue, and developmental risk; excess cow milk intake is a frequent contributor.

Inadequate vitamin D causing impaired calcium absorption, rickets in children, and hypocalcemia; risk rises with limited sun exposure, dark skin, obesity, and exclusive breastfeeding without supplementation.

A high-energy, high-fat diet with pancreatic enzyme replacement, fat-soluble vitamin supplementation, and salt replacement, aiming for normal growth and pulmonary function in children with cystic fibrosis.

Oral enzyme capsules taken with meals and snacks to replace deficient pancreatic enzymes in conditions such as cystic fibrosis, improving fat and protein digestion and reducing steatorrhea.

Fatty, bulky, foul-smelling stools caused by malabsorbed fat, often from pancreatic insufficiency, cholestasis, or mucosal disease; it signals fat loss and risk of fat-soluble vitamin deficiency.

A medically prescribed diet restricting specific amino acids, carbohydrates, or fats to prevent toxic metabolite accumulation in conditions such as phenylketonuria, often using specialized medical foods.

A food formulated for dietary management of a disease or condition under medical supervision, such as amino-acid-modified formulas for metabolic disorders, distinct from ordinary foods and supplements.

A potentially fatal shift of electrolytes, especially phosphate, potassium, and magnesium, after reintroducing nutrition to a malnourished child; prevention requires cautious calorie advancement and electrolyte monitoring.

The planned start and advancement of tube feeding, typically beginning at low volume or rate and increasing as tolerated, with attention to aspiration risk, tolerance, and refeeding risk.

Choosing a formula based on age, digestive capacity, allergy, disease state, and route, ranging from standard polymeric to hydrolyzed, elemental, or disease-specific products.

Intravenous delivery of nutrients, including amino acids, dextrose, lipids, electrolytes, vitamins, and trace minerals, used when the gastrointestinal tract cannot meet nutritional needs.

Infusing parenteral nutrition over part of a day rather than continuously, allowing mobility and metabolic rest; it is used in stable children and requires careful glucose monitoring during transitions.

A bloodstream infection attributed to a central venous catheter, a major risk of parenteral nutrition; prevention relies on sterile technique, catheter care bundles, and minimizing line access.

A collaborative counseling style that explores and strengthens a family's own reasons for change through open questions, affirmation, reflection, and summary, rather than advice-giving or confrontation.

A model describing readiness to alter behavior across precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance, guiding counselors to match strategies to a family's current stage.

A caregiver's belief in their capability to carry out a feeding or nutrition plan; higher self-efficacy predicts better adherence and is strengthened through small successes and modeling.

An approach that treats the child's caregivers as essential team members, honoring their culture, values, and priorities in assessment, goal setting, and nutrition care planning.

An ongoing practice of self-reflection and openness to a family's cultural food practices, beliefs, and identity, replacing assumptions with respectful inquiry during nutrition counseling.

The degree to which caregivers can obtain, process, and understand nutrition information needed to make decisions; low literacy calls for plain language, teach-back, and visual tools.

A counseling technique in which the caregiver explains the plan in their own words so the clinician can confirm understanding and correct misunderstandings before the visit ends.

Limited or uncertain access to adequate, safe, nutritious food due to money or resources; screening in pediatric settings links families to federal programs and community food resources.

A U.S. federal program providing monthly benefits for purchasing food to eligible low-income households, including families with children; nutrition educators help families apply and use benefits.

A U.S. program providing supplemental foods, infant formula, breastfeeding support, and nutrition education to eligible pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children under five.

Adding vitamins or minerals to staple foods or formulas, such as folic acid in grains or iron in infant cereal, to prevent deficiencies at the population level.

Counseling and practical assistance that helps families initiate and continue breastfeeding, including positioning, milk supply, workplace accommodation, and referral to lactation specialists.

The range of nutrition services a professional is legally and ethically permitted to provide given licensure, training, and setting; exceeding it without referral or supervision is a professional violation.

A caregiver's voluntary agreement to a nutrition intervention after receiving understandable information about purpose, benefits, alternatives, and risks, documented in the medical record.

The ethical and legal duty to protect a child's and family's health information from unauthorized disclosure, including careful handling of records in counseling, schools, and community settings.

Directing a family to another professional or service when needs exceed one's competence or scope, and sharing relevant information so care remains continuous and non-duplicative.

A multidisciplinary group of physicians, dietitians, nurses, and pharmacists who collaboratively manage enteral and parenteral nutrition, monitor complications, and improve patient safety.

Persistent difficulty with eating or drinking that impairs growth or nutrition, arising from medical, oral-motor, sensory, or behavioral factors and often requiring multidisciplinary intervention.