© 2026 Canadian Malnutrition Task Force
Pediatric Malnutrition Assessment Unmasked: SGNA and NFPE
October 6, 2026 | 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
This webinar is brought to you by CMTF as part of Canadian Malnutrition Awareness Week™ October 5 - 9, 2026 "Lead The Change"
This webinar is presented in English / Ce webinaire sera présenté en Anglais.
Webinar description:
Hospitalized pediatric patients are at risk for malnutrition which can adversely affect growth and development and is associated with longer length of hospital stay, increased risk of infection, higher readmission rates, greater morbidity and mortality rates, and increased hospitalization costs. Children identified as being at nutrition risk require a complete nutrition assessment to determine the presence and severity of malnutrition in order to provide an accurate diagnosis and to guide nutrition care. Although several nutrition assessment and diagnostic tools are used in clinical practice, the Subjective Global Nutrition Assessment (SGNA) is recognized as one of the most well-validated and comprehensive tools for the assessment and diagnosis of pediatric malnutrition.
However, the number of available nutrition risk screening and assessment tools, combined with limited guidance on their appropriate selection and use, has contributed to confusion and variability among practitioners. Practitioners seeking to implement a validated nutrition assessment tool in their clinical practice often encounter barriers, including limited training opportunities and insufficient organizational support. As research continues to evaluate the most effective methods to nutrition assessment, practitioners need guidance on implementation of the current validated assessment tools.
In this session, speakers from Canadian Malnutrition Task Force (CMTF) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) will review the need for using a validated malnutrition assessment tool, specifically SGNA including NFPE (nutrition focused physical exam), to identify, diagnose and code malnutrition; and solutions to overcome barriers in implementing SGNA and NFPE in clinical practice.
This session is relevant to dietitians, physicians and health care professionals involved in nutrition care in a pediatric hospital setting.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the webinar, participants will:
- Describe the importance of using the SGNA and NFPE to identify and diagnose pediatric malnutrition.
- Identify solutions to overcome common barriers to using SGNA and NFPE in clinical practice.
- Apply learnings from this session to Lead the Change for implementing SGNA and NFPE in their own settings.
Speakers:
- Beth Mordarski, RDN, LD, Manager, NFPE Program Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Laura Carter, MSc, RD, Provincial Practice Lead, Alberta Health Services
Moderator: Tejas S. Desai, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Staff Pediatric Gastroenterologist, London Health Sciences Centre
About the Speakers:
Beth Mordarski is the Manager of the Nutrition Focused Physical Exam Program for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, where she developed the Academy's NFPE Hands-on Training Workshop and Recorded Modules, along with the newly developed NFPE 2.0 Workshop. Beth’s career began in community hospitals and continued to a large academic medical center and a long-term acute care center. She has over 20 years of clinical experience in a variety of patient populations, which assisted Beth in the development of the Academy’s NFPE Workshops and ongoing malnutrition education for fellow dietitians and interns across the United States and Globally. In addition, Beth is the author of the Academy’s NFPE Pocket Guides, along with journal articles, and is a frequent presenter and reviewer on the topics of malnutrition and NFPE.
Laura Carter - is a Registered Dietitian, MSc, and Provincial Practice Lead with Alberta Health Services, specializing in pediatric malnutrition. She holds a master’s degree focused on pediatric nutrition screening in hospital settings and is a member of the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force. Laura leads provincial education and training in malnutrition assessment and diagnosis using the Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment (SGNA). She also focuses on interdisciplinary awareness, collaboration, and education around malnutrition.
About the Moderator:
To be confirmed
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