Metabolites are generated from exogenous sources such as diet. This scoping review will summarize nascent metabolite literature and discriminating metabolites for formula vs. human- milk-fed infants. Using the PICOS framework (P—Patient, Problem or Population; I—Intervention; C—Comparison; O—Outcome; S—Study Design) and PRISMA item-reporting protocols, infants less than 12 months old, full-term, and previously healthy were included. Protocol was registered with Open Science Framework (OSF). Publications from 1 January 2009–2019 were selected, for various biofluids, study designs, and techniques (such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)). From 711 articles, blinded screening of 214 articles using Abstrackr^® software, resulted in 24 for final review. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were adopted, which included a 24-point checklist. Articles were stratified according to biofluid. Of articles reporting discriminating metabolites between formula- and human milk-fed infants, 62.5% (5/8) of plasma/serum/dried blood spot, 88% (7/8) of urine and 100% (6/6) of feces related articles reported such discriminating metabolites. Overall, no differences were found between analytical approach used (targeted (n = 9) vs. un-targeted (n = 10)). Current articles are limited by small sample sizes and differing methodological approaches. Of the metabolites reviewed herein, fecal metabolites provided the greatest distinction between diets, which may be indicative of usefulness for future diet metabolite-focused work.

These days, algorithms make a growing number of consequential decisions for and about us, whether it’s the news we get, the kinds of ads we view, or what route we take to work. As libraries move toward adopting algorithms for information retrieval and discovery, it is important that we educate our consumers and ourselves about their pitfalls and promise.

Background/Objectives: Nutrition is essential to outcomes in critically ill children; however, optimal timing, route, and composition of feeding remain uncertain. Prior studies demonstrate considerable variability in study design, patient populations, and outcome measures, limiting comparability. This review synthesizes international pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nutrition studies evaluating timing, route, and content of nutritional interventions and summarizes associated clinical outcomes and nutritional adequacy. Methods: A comprehensive scoping review was conducted using the PICOS framework. PubMed and Embase databases were searched for studies published between 2015 and 2025 enrolling critically ill children ≤21 years old admitted to PICUs. Eligible studies assessed timing (early vs. late enteral nutrition), nutritional composition, or feeding route (enteral vs. parenteral). Screening and full-text review were performed independently by two reviewers using Covidence, with discrepancies resolved by a third reviewer. Quality assessment used STROBE. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO. Results: Of 652 identified records, 30 studies met inclusion criteria. Studies were conducted primarily in the United States (27%), with additional contributions from Spain and Brazil (10% each) and several other countries. Study designs included randomized controlled trials (27%) and observational studies (73%). Interventions examined feeding route (14%), nutritional content (38%), and timing (48%). Frequently reported outcomes included feeding intolerance or adverse events, duration of mechanical ventilation, time to nutrition goals, PICU length of stay, mortality, and nutritional adequacy. Conclusions: The contemporary PICU nutrition literature demonstrates persistent heterogeneity in practice and outcomes. This review identifies ongoing gaps in timing, delivery, and adequacy of nutritional support.