Impact of a customized dietary plan on weight percentile shifts and metabolic parameters in children hospitalized in an inpatient psychiatric unit.

OBJECTIVE: Children who are hospitalized in a child psychiatry inpatient ward are frequently treated with antipsychotic medications and are also characterized by being overweight. In this study, we aimed to investigate the ramifications of a customized dietary plan on weight percentile shifts in children hospitalized in an inpatient psychiatric ward. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 42 children, age 6 to12 years admitted to a child psychiatry inpatient ward (from July 21 to February 23), with hospital stays ranging from 46 to 259 days. A clinical dietitian customized a general and personalized dietary plan composed of five meals per day and a plan for diet on weekend vacations. We measured the weight percentile weekly during the first 4 weeks and then once a month. A total of 7 measurements were taken and children underwent a minimum of four out of seven measurements. RESULTS: Baseline median weight percentile was 86.5 (range 7-100) and blood metabolic measures were within the normal range both at admission and discharge. Of the total sample, 93% of children received anti-psychotics and 55% were on stimulants. A significant weight percentile decline was noted already after 4 weeks. Higher initial weight percentile and treatment with stimulants (especially males) predicted a more robust reduction in weight percentile over time. CONCLUSION: Customized dietary plan led to a noticeable drop in children's weight percentile in a child psychiatry inpatient ward. This underscores the importance of personalized dietary interventions during psychiatric hospitalizations of children.