Malian children with moderate acute malnutrition who are treated with lipid-based dietary supplements have greater weight gains and recovery rates than those treated with locally produced cereal-legume products: a community-based, cluster-randomized trial.
BACKGROUND
Moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), defined as weight-for-length z score between -3 and -2 or midupper arm circumference between 11.5 and 12.5 cm, affects ∼33 million children aged <5 y worldwide.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to compare the effects of 4 dietary supplements for the treatment of MAM.


METHODS
Twelve community health centers in rural Mali were randomly assigned to provide to 1264 MAM children aged 6-35 mo one of 4 dietary supplements containing ∼500 kcal/d for 12 wk: 1) ready-to-use, lipid-based supplementary food (RUSF); 2) special corn-soy blend (CSB++); 3) locally processed, fortified flour (Misola); or 4) locally milled flours plus oil, sugar, and micronutrient powder (LMF).


RESULTS
In total, 1178 children (93.2%) completed the study. The adjusted mean (95% CI) change in weight (kg) from baseline was greater with RUSF than with the locally processed blends and was intermediate with CSB++ [1.16 (1.08, 1.24) for RUSF, 1.04 (0.96, 1.13) for CSB++, 0.91 (0.82, 0.99) for Misola, and 0.83 (0.74, 0.92) for LMF; P < 0.001]. For length change, RUSF and CSB++ differed significantly from LMF. Sustained recovery rates were higher with RUSF (73%) than with Misola (61%) and LMF (58%), P < 0.0001; CSB++ recovery rates (68%) did not differ from any of the other groups.


CONCLUSIONS
RUSF was more effective, but more costly, than other dietary supplements for the treatment of MAM; CSB++ yielded intermediate results. The benefits of treatment should be considered in relation to product costs and availability.
From the Program in Nutrition and Metabolism, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (RSA-A and DHH); Helen Keller International, New York, NY (RSA-A and KHB); the Program in International and Community Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA (RSA-A and KHB); the Division of GI/Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA (CMM); the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali (SD); the University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia (JGE); the Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University, Boston, MA (DHH); and the Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA (DHH).
Robert S
RS
Ackatia-Armah
From the Program in Nutrition and Metabolism, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (RSA-A and DHH); Helen Keller International, New York, NY (RSA-A and KHB); the Program in International and Community Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA (RSA-A and KHB); the Division of GI/Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA (CMM); the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali (SD); the University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia (JGE); the Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University, Boston, MA (DHH); and the Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA (DHH).
Christine M
CM
McDonald
From the Program in Nutrition and Metabolism, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (RSA-A and DHH); Helen Keller International, New York, NY (RSA-A and KHB); the Program in International and Community Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA (RSA-A and KHB); the Division of GI/Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA (CMM); the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali (SD); the University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia (JGE); the Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University, Boston, MA (DHH); and the Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA (DHH).
Seydou
S
Doumbia
From the Program in Nutrition and Metabolism, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (RSA-A and DHH); Helen Keller International, New York, NY (RSA-A and KHB); the Program in International and Community Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA (RSA-A and KHB); the Division of GI/Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA (CMM); the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali (SD); the University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia (JGE); the Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University, Boston, MA (DHH); and the Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA (DHH).
Juergen G
JG
Erhardt
From the Program in Nutrition and Metabolism, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (RSA-A and DHH); Helen Keller International, New York, NY (RSA-A and KHB); the Program in International and Community Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA (RSA-A and KHB); the Division of GI/Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA (CMM); the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali (SD); the University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia (JGE); the Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University, Boston, MA (DHH); and the Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA (DHH).
Davidson H
DH
Hamer
From the Program in Nutrition and Metabolism, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (RSA-A and DHH); Helen Keller International, New York, NY (RSA-A and KHB); the Program in International and Community Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA (RSA-A and KHB); the Division of GI/Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA (CMM); the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali (SD); the University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia (JGE); the Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University, Boston, MA (DHH); and the Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA (DHH).
Kenneth H
KH
Brown
D001628:Beverages; D002657:Child Development; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003151:Community Health Centers; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D002523:Edible Grain; D007887:Fabaceae; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008297:Male; D008302:Mali; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012423:Rural Health / Q000208:ethnology; D012639:Seeds; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015430:Weight Gain
D010938:Plant Oils
CSB++; Misola; Supplementary Plumpy; locally milled flours; moderate acute malnutrition