Hospital based nutrition rehabilitation of severely undernourished children using energy dense local foods.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the catch up growth in severely wasted children using energy dense local foods at a hospital based nutrition rehabilitation unit.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort.


METHODS
In-patient ward at a tertiary care government pediatric hospital in Hyderabad.


METHODS
Children with severe malnutrition (n=309) admitted to nutrition ward from January 2001 to December 2005.


METHODS
A diet based on energy dense local foods along with multivitamin-multimineral supplements.


METHODS
Catch up growth (g/kg/day) during each week of hospital stay.


RESULTS
Mean age of the children was 25 months (range 2-60). Their baseline weight for height (WHZ) Z score was -4.1. Mean weight gain was moderate (5g/kg/day) and baseline WHZ score had a significant negative relationship to the weight gain. The prevalence of morbidities was high and the commonest morbidity was fever. Weight gain was higher by almost 40% in the absence of morbidities in any week.


CONCLUSIONS
The diet based on local energy dense foods was found to be suitable for the nutrition rehabilitation of severely malnourished children though the rate of weight gain was moderate.
Mamidi
Raja Sriswan
RS
Clinical Division, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India.
Kulkarni
Bharati
B
Radhakrishna
K V
KV
Shatrugna
Veena
V
D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005526:Food, Formulated; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015430:Weight Gain