Quality and Outcomes Reports - Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine

Cystic Fibrosis: Nutritional Status in Children

Why we measure it - Body mass index is a way to measure the body fat in most children and teens and is one indicator of the child's nutritional status. It is an easy way to see if children are gaining the appropriate weight for their age and height.

What this means - The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry shows a strong association between a higher BMI percentile and better lung function in children with CF. Our goal is for children with CF to grow and develop like children without CF.

About the data - Data are collected by each CF center across the country and entered into a database which is analyzed by clinical experts at the CF Foundation. The foundation ranks the top 10 performing centers in 25 clinical areas and publishes this data on their website.

Related dimensions of care:

What we're doing to provide the best care:

• The Cystic Fibrosis Center at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin was one of the 2010 recipients of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Quality Care Award: Recognizing Outstanding Quality Improvement Processes and Accomplishments.
• The Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Cystic Fibrosis center provides a multidisciplinary approach to cystic fibrosis care. The center is staffed with a dietitian who is heavily involved in coaching the child and family in strategies to maximize caloric intake and to achieve ideal weight goals determined by the CF team and family.
• Additional specialists who may assist in maximizing BMI goals consist of a multidisciplinary team that include gastroenterologists and a feeding team, who observe feeding behaviors and make recommendations to the family. These specialists are available in Milwaukee. Appointments with these specialists can be coordinated to coincide with CF clinic appointments for added patient convenience.

Patients and families:

• If you cannot keep a scheduled appointment, please call Central Scheduling at (877) 607-5280 or (414) 607-5280 as soon as possible to reschedule so another child can be seen.
• Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment so we can gather relevant information from you before you see the doctor.

Referring physicians:

• Referring physicians can access our specialists for consultation or transport 24 hours a day. Call our physician referral line at (800) 266-0366.  
• Health care providers from outside of our southeastern Wisconsin service area are encouraged to use our web-based
  e-Consult service. This service is available for non-urgent patient cases only and gives providers access to our specialists to review patient cases, obtain medical advice or second opinions, and receive care recommendations for rare symptoms and illnesses.
  e-Consult is not to be used by the general public, parents/guardians or families.
• Care guidelines for medical professionals
• Educational materials
  • Pediatric Rounds
  • Webcasts
• Pocket Directory

If you have questions about this data or information, email us or call (414) 266-6556.