Pediatric Maintenance Calories Calculator

About this calculator

The Holliday-Segar method is the standard bedside formula for estimating a child's daily maintenance caloric (and fluid) needs from body weight alone: 100 kcal/kg for the first 10 kg, plus 50 kcal/kg for the next 10 kg (11–20 kg), plus 20 kcal/kg for every kilogram above 20 kg. A 25 kg child, for example, needs roughly 1,000 + 500 + 100 = 1,600 kcal per day at rest.

Originally published in 1957 alongside a matching fluid formula, it remains the go-to quick estimate used by pediatricians, pediatric dietitians, and NICU/PICU staff when writing enteral feeding or basic nutrition orders — a starting point that's later refined for illness, activity, and growth needs.