Results with Complementary Food Using Local Food Ingredients.
Appropriate complementary food is a must for optimum growth of infants and children. The food should be diverse and be given in sufficient quantities 2-4 times a day depending upon age. Poverty, food insecurity, and lack of awareness regarding the choice of nutritious food ingredients are deterrents to optimum complementary feeding. In Bangladesh, 77% of children do not receive appropriate complementary food and, hence, the high prevalence of childhood malnutrition. We developed ready-to-use complementary foods (RUCFs) using locally available food ingredients, rice/lentil and chickpea, which conform to standard specifications. These foods were found to be acceptable by children and their mothers compared to the Pushti packet, the cereal-based supplement used in the erstwhile National Nutrition Program of Bangladesh. In a cluster-randomized community-based trial in rural Bangladesh among more than 5,000 children, the efficacy of rice/lentil- and chickpea-based RUCFs was compared with another commonly used supplementary food called wheat-soy blend++ (WSB++) and a commercial product called Plumpy'doz. Deceleration in length for age was significantly lower (by 0.02-0.04/month) in the rice/lentil, Plumpy'doz, and chickpea groups compared to the control group at 18 months of age. Weight-for-length z-score decline was lower only in Plumpy'doz and chickpea groups. WSB++ was not different from the control group. In children who received chickpea RUCF or Plumpy'doz, the prevalence of stunting was 5-6% lower at 18 months. These foods can be used to prevent or treat malnutrition among children, particularly those from food-insecure households.
Tahmeed
T
Ahmed
Munirul
M
Islam
Nuzhat
N
Choudhury
Iqbal
I
Hossain
Sayeeda
S
Huq
Mustafa
M
Mahfuz
Shafiqul Alam
SA
Sarker
D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D002657:Child Development; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004032:Diet; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000032:analysis; D063427:Food Quality; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population
D018977:Micronutrients