Effectiveness of Nutritional Products to Treat Moderate Acute Malnutrition

Using Indigenous Foods to Reduce Malnutrition in Children

The purpose of this study is to determine whether an improved corn-soya blend (CSB+) and a new formulated ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) are effective in the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition in children.

Assuming the availability of some food in the household, the caregivers were instructed on how best to use the food they have and the quantity of supplementary food distributed was calculated to provide about 50% of child energy requirement.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children aged 6-59 month
• Weight-for-height between -3 and -2 z-scores without edema
• Good appetite
• Stable clinical conditions

Exclusion Criteria:

• Weight-for-Height Z-score < -3
• Presence of bilateral pitting edema
• Unstable clinical conditions
• Not showing appetite