Hospital based nutrition rehabilitation of severely undernourished children using energy dense local foods

Indian Pediatr. 2010 Aug;47(8):687-93. doi: 10.1007/s13312-010-0101-7. Epub 2010 Mar 15.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the catch up growth in severely wasted children using energy dense local foods at a hospital based nutrition rehabilitation unit.

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: In-patient ward at a tertiary care government pediatric hospital in Hyderabad.

Patients: Children with severe malnutrition (n=309) admitted to nutrition ward from January 2001 to December 2005.

Intervention: A diet based on energy dense local foods along with multivitamin-multimineral supplements.

Main outcome measures: Catch up growth (g/kg/day) during each week of hospital stay.

Results: Mean age of the children was 25 months (range 2-60). Their baseline weight for height (WHZ) Z score was -4.1. Mean weight gain was moderate (5g/kg/day) and baseline WHZ score had a significant negative relationship to the weight gain. The prevalence of morbidities was high and the commonest morbidity was fever. Weight gain was higher by almost 40% in the absence of morbidities in any week.

Conclusions: The diet based on local energy dense foods was found to be suitable for the nutrition rehabilitation of severely malnourished children though the rate of weight gain was moderate.

MeSH terms

  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Female
  • Food, Formulated*
  • Food, Fortified*
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • India / epidemiology
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Protein-Energy Malnutrition / diet therapy*
  • Protein-Energy Malnutrition / epidemiology
  • Protein-Energy Malnutrition / rehabilitation
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Weight Gain