The 2026 annual meeting of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) just wrapped up in Long Beach, California. From February 14 through February 17, the four-day Nutrition Science & Practice Conference was packed with career growth opportunities, evidence-based clinical updates, cutting-edge research presentations, and more.

Today, we’re highlighting a curated selection of abstracts presented at ASPEN 2026 that focus on pediatric topics. Some descriptions and conclusions were edited for brevity and clarity. View the complete abstracts archive on the ASPEN 2026 website.

High-Protein Enteral Nutrition in a Pediatric Patient with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Description: Nutritional support is essential in the treatment of critically ill children, particularly those at high risk of malnutrition due to hypermetabolism and catabolic stress. In the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), early initiation of enteral nutrition (EN) has been associated with improved clinical outcomes, including enhanced recovery during ICU stays. High‐protein (HP) formulas may further support increased metabolic demands seen during the acute phase of critical illness.
  • Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of early, targeted nutritional intervention in pediatric patients with severe TBI. The goal is to prevent malnutrition and to aid neurologic recovery, restore lean body mass, and promote catch‐up growth.

Prevalence of Concurrent Respiratory Infections in Children with Intestinal Failure Admitted with Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections

  • Description: [The researchers] examined the diagnostic approach for suspected central line‐associated bloodstream infection in intestinal failure patients, as well as the potential role of concomitant respiratory viral infections in diagnosis and management. By evaluating the prevalence of respiratory viral infections in PN‐dependent pediatric patients with IF and confirmed ambulatory central line‐associated bloodstream infection, our overall aim was to offer insights and identify potential gaps in current practices for the management of central line‐associated bloodstream infection in this population.
  • Conclusion: [The] results highlight the existence of a small but clinically significant prevalence of concurrent respiratory viral infection in this population. Future prospective studies are needed to better delineate diagnostic and management strategies for patients with intestinal failure and parenteral nutrition dependence who present with fever in the setting of a respiratory viral illness.

Can We Narrow Antibiotics Sooner? Evaluating Concordance of BCID2 with Blood Cultures in Pediatric Failure Patients

  • Description: The aim of this study was to determine whether BCID2 results correlated with conventional blood culture results. This would facilitate more timely narrowing of empiric antibiotic coverage, decrease length‐of‐stay and could potentially help preserve central access if organisms are detected earlier, allowing for faster clearance of cultures.
  • Conclusion: The BICD2 panel represents a valuable opportunity to reduce antibiotic exposure in pediatric patients with intestinal failure who present with fever. The current standard of care  recommends 48 hours of empiric broad‐spectrum antibiotics while awaiting final blood culture results. Given the BCID2's strong concordance with blood cultures in this study, this may support earlier narrowing of antibiotics, potentially leading to reduced overall antibiotic exposure, minimized risk of antimicrobial resistance, and decreased length‐of‐stay. However, approximately 15% of cases showed discordance between BCID2 and final cultures, most involving Gram positive organisms which are less comprehensively captured on the BCID2 panel compared to Gram negative organisms, which are well‐represented on BICD2.

Improving Continuity of Care for Children Dependent on Enteral Nutrition Through a Multidisciplinary Approach

  • Description: Children with complex medical conditions, especially those with severe neurological impairment, often require intensive, sustained care across multiple specialties, which creates significant logistical and clinical challenges for families and healthcare providers. This complexity leads to numerous appointments, presenting challenges in maintaining sustainable, coordinated care and appropriate attrition rates in the clinical setting. The majority of these children depend entirely on enteral nutrition to prevent malnutrition and/or aspiration and experience gastrointestinal complications, therefore routine follow‐up is vital to their well‐being. Achieving both high‐quality outcomes and continuity of care is particularly challenging and addressing these needs calls for innovative approaches to streamline care delivery and enhance patient engagement.
  • Conclusion: The implementation of a weekly multidisciplinary meeting including physicians, advanced practice providers, dietitians, nurses, social workers, and office assistants allowed for improved communication among different disciplines regarding the barriers to providing sustainable care for children with complex medical needs that depend on enteral nutrition. It allowed for sustaining a high 12‐month attrition rate and improvement of six‐month attrition rate. The use of appointment slips strongly contributed to the efficiency of in‐person scheduling over electronic scheduling for families with children with complex medical needs. 

Impact of Portion Size Intervention on Energy Intake and Obesity Risk in School-Aged Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  • Description: The "portion size effect," a phenomenon where larger portions lead to greater energy intake, has been consistently demonstrated in adults and younger children. However, the impact of portion size manipulation interventions on dietary intake and risk of obesity in school‐aged children has not been systematically examined. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to critically evaluate the evidence for the effects of portion size interventions on energy intake and risk of obesity in this age group.
  • Conclusion: Larger portion sizes increase children's energy intake, highlighting portion size as a critical modifiable factor influencing dietary behaviors in children. However, current evidence is largely limited to short‐term, laboratory‐based studies, and further longitudinal research is needed to determine the long‐term effects of portion size interventions on energy intake and risk of obesity in childhood.

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