title: A multinutrient-fortified beverage enhances the nutritional status of children in Botswana.
abstract: Due to their widespread acceptability, multinutrient-fortified foods and beverages may be useful in reducing micronutrient deficiencies, especially in developing countries. We studied the efficacy of a new fortified beverage in improving the nutritional status of children in Botswana. We screened 311 lower income urban school children, ages 6-11 y, in two primary schools near Gaborone. Children were given seven 240-mL servings weekly of either an experimental beverage (EXP) fortified with 12 micronutrients or an isoenergetic placebo drink (CON) for 8 wk. Weight, mid-upper arm circumference, hemoglobin, retinol, ferritin, vitamin B-12, folate and riboflavin status were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. Plasma zinc and serum transferrin receptors also were measured at study end. A total of 145 children in the EXP group and 118 in the CON group completed the trial. Using multivariate analysis, the changes in mid-upper arm circumference, weight for age and total weight were significantly better in the EXP group than in the CON group (P < 0.01). Ferritin, riboflavin and folate status were significantly better in the EXP group than in the CON group at study end (P < 0.01), but serum vitamin B-12 was not. Zinc was significantly higher and transferrin receptors were significantly lower at the conclusion of the study in the EXP group than in the CON group (P < 0.001). Mean plasma retinol concentrations, which were low (<0.7 micro mol/L) in both groups, did not change. We conclude that a micronutrient-fortified beverage may be beneficial as part of a comprehensive nutritional supplementation program in populations at risk for micronutrient deficiencies.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. sabrams@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mushi
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hilmers
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Penni
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Davila
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001628:Beverages; D001902:Botswana; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status