title: Supplemental feeding with ready-to-use therapeutic food in Malawian children at risk of malnutrition.
abstract: The study was a controlled, comparative clinical effectiveness trial of two supplementary feeding regimens in children at risk of malnutrition from seven centres in rural Malawi. Being at risk of malnutrition was defined as weight-for-height <85%, but >80% of the international standard. A stepped-wedge design with systematic allocation was used for assigning children to receive either ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) (n=331) or micronutrient-fortified corn/soy-blend (n=41) for up to eight weeks. The primary outcomes were recovery, defined as weight-for-height >90%, and the rate of weight gain. Children receiving RUTF were more likely to recover (58% vs 22%; difference 36%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 20-52) and had greater rates of weight gain (3.1 g/kg.d vs 1.4 g/kg x d; difference 1.7; 95% CI 0.8-2.6) than children receiving corn/soy-blend. The results of this preliminary work suggest that supplementary feeding with RUTF promotes better growth in children at risk of malnutrition than the standard fortified cereal/legume-blended food.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Monica P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Heidi L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Sandige
authors.forename: MacDonald J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ndekha
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Briend
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ashorn
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Manary
mesh_terms: D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007228:Infant Nutrition Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000178:diet therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D013025:Glycine max; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D003313:Zea mays