Dietary management of acute diarrhea with local foods in a Guatemalan rural community.
A community-based, randomized trial was conducted to evaluate a locally available diet for the management of acute diarrhea (n = 99 episodes) in 90 Guatemalan children, 4-42 months of age. The Test Diet (TD), a combination of a semi-solid pap (maize flour, black beans, oil) and a liquid gruel, Incaparina (maize flour, cotton seed flour, sugar), in addition to breast-milk and other home foods (group TD, n = 45 episodes) was offered for 14 d and compared to usual home feeding (group HF, n = 54 episodes). Diarrhea episodes after admission were significantly shorter for group TD (median 2.0 d) than group HF (median 4.4 d, p = 0.003) after adjusting for potential confounders. Weight gains did not differ significantly between groups. We conclude that community-based dietary management of acute childhood diarrhea using energy-dense, locally available foods is feasible and may shorten diarrhea duration. This may encourage mothers to follow recommendations for continued feeding during diarrhea in developing country environments.
Schroeder
D G
DG
Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
Torún
B
B
Bartlett
A V
AV
Miracle-McMahill
H
H
D000208:Acute Disease; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003153:Community Health Services; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000178:diet therapy*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006166:Guatemala; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012423:Rural Health; D015430:Weight Gain