title: Goat's milk as a substitute for cow's milk in undernourished children: a randomized double-blind clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper compares the effects of goat's milk and cow's milk on weight gain and fat absorption, in children with overt malnutrition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty hospitalized malnourished children aged from 1 to 5 years were included in a randomized double-blind trial. The children were fed either goat or cow's milk with a randomized will defined composition, added with vegetable oil, sugar, vitamins and minerals o achieve 1,000 kcal/liter. Children were offered 100 kcal/kg on the first day, with a regular daily increase in energy intake thereafter that reached 200 kcal/kg per day on the tenth day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups of children had the same degree of malnutrition on inclusion. The mean weight-for-height Z score was -1.7 in both groups. One death with candidiasis occurred in the goat's milk group. Weight gain was similar in both groups: 8.5 g/kg/day (SE = 1.37) with goat's milk and 7.8 (SE = 1.9) with cow's milk. There was no significant difference in HEM intake: 157 ml/kg/day (SE = 4), vs 162 (SE = 4) for goat and cow's milk, respectively. Fat absorption coefficients on the 15th day of treatment were also similar in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that goat's milk has a nutritional value similar to that of cow's milk and could be used as an alternative to cow's milk for rehabilitating undernourished children.
authors.affiliation: Service de Pédiatrie, Hôpital Befelatanana, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Razafindrakoto
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ravelomanana
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rasolofo
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Rakotoarimanana
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gourgue
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coquin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Briend
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Desjeux
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D002149:Energy Intake; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008270:Madagascar; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy*; D015430:Weight Gain