Babu Ram Thapa1, Pooja Goyal1, Jagadeesh Menon1, Ajay Sharma2. 1. 1 Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Postgraduate Institute Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India. 2. 2 Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Research and Analysis Centre (FICCI), New Delhi, India.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is a salient health problem in India. Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Research and Analysis Centre, New Delhi, prepared nutreal equivalent to ready-to-use therapeutic food by World Health Organization (WHO) for the management of SAM and defined food like homemade diet. OBJECTIVE: To compare acceptability and efficacy of nutreal over defined food for the management of SAM. METHODS:One hundred twelve children aged less than 5 years with SAM were enrolled as per the standard of WHO. Children were randomized into 2 groups to receive nutreal (n = 56) and defined food (n = 56) in unlimited amounts for 42 consecutive days and extended by 2 weeks as per demand. Calorie and protein intake, weight, and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) were recorded daily. RESULTS: Age range was 8 to 45 months. Ninety-three percent of children eagerly accepted nutreal but 7% does not. Whereas in the defined food group, 68% accepted eagerly, 30% did not accept eagerly, and 1.8% accepted poorly ( P = .004). At enrollment, mean weight in the nutreal group was 6.44 ± 1.60 kg and in the defined food group was 8.69 ± 1.76 kg, with MUAC in the nutreal group being 11.12 ± 0.47 cm and in the defined food group being 11.54 ± 0.34 cm. Mean weight in the nutreal and defined food groups at eighth week of intervention was 7.97 ± 1.8 kg and 9.71 ± 1.8 kg ( P < .001), respectively. Mid-upper arm circumference at eighth week was 12.10 ± 0.29 cm in the nutreal group and 12.49 ± 0.50 cm in the defined group ( P < .001). CONCLUSION:Acceptability, mean weight gain, and MUAC in the nutreal group are greater than the defined food.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND:Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is a salient health problem in India. Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Research and Analysis Centre, New Delhi, prepared nutreal equivalent to ready-to-use therapeutic food by World Health Organization (WHO) for the management of SAM and defined food like homemade diet. OBJECTIVE: To compare acceptability and efficacy of nutreal over defined food for the management of SAM. METHODS: One hundred twelve children aged less than 5 years with SAM were enrolled as per the standard of WHO. Children were randomized into 2 groups to receive nutreal (n = 56) and defined food (n = 56) in unlimited amounts for 42 consecutive days and extended by 2 weeks as per demand. Calorie and protein intake, weight, and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) were recorded daily. RESULTS: Age range was 8 to 45 months. Ninety-three percent of children eagerly accepted nutreal but 7% does not. Whereas in the defined food group, 68% accepted eagerly, 30% did not accept eagerly, and 1.8% accepted poorly ( P = .004). At enrollment, mean weight in the nutreal group was 6.44 ± 1.60 kg and in the defined food group was 8.69 ± 1.76 kg, with MUAC in the nutreal group being 11.12 ± 0.47 cm and in the defined food group being 11.54 ± 0.34 cm. Mean weight in the nutreal and defined food groups at eighth week of intervention was 7.97 ± 1.8 kg and 9.71 ± 1.8 kg ( P < .001), respectively. Mid-upper arm circumference at eighth week was 12.10 ± 0.29 cm in the nutreal group and 12.49 ± 0.50 cm in the defined group ( P < .001). CONCLUSION: Acceptability, mean weight gain, and MUAC in the nutreal group are greater than the defined food.