title: Supplementary feeding with fortified spread among moderately underweight 6-18-month-old rural Malawian children.
abstract: We aimed to analyse growth and recovery from undernutrition among moderately underweight ambulatory children receiving micronutrient-fortified maize-soy flour (Likuni Phala, LP) or ready-to-use fortified spread (FS) supplementary diet. One hundred and seventy-six 6-18-month-old individuals were randomized to receive 500 g LP or 350 g FS weekly for 12 weeks. Baseline and end of intervention measurements were used to calculate anthropometric gains and recovery from underweight, wasting and stunting. Mean weight-for-age increased by 0.22 (95% CI 0.07-0.37) and 0.28 (0.18-0.40) Z-score units in the LP and FS groups respectively. Comparable increase for mean weight-for-length was 0.39 (0.20-0.57) and 0.52 (0.38-0.65) Z-score units. Recovery from underweight and wasting was 20% and 93% in LP group and 16% and 75% in FS group. Few individuals recovered from stunting and mean length-for-age was not markedly changed. There were no statistically significant differences between the outcomes in the two intervention groups. In a poor food-security setting, underweight infants and children receiving supplementary feeding for 12 weeks with ready-to-use FS or maize-soy flour porridge show similar recovery from moderate wasting and underweight. Neither intervention, if limited to a 12-week duration, appears to have significant impact on the process of linear growth or stunting.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Malawi, P/Bag 360 Blantyre, Malawi. johnphuka@malawi.net
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Phuka
authors.forename: Chrissie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thakwalakwa
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maleta
authors.forename: Yin Bun
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Briend
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manary
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ashorn
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008295:Malawi; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012621:Seasons; D045730:Soy Foods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015430:Weight Gain; D003313:Zea mays
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients