Supplementary Food for Moderate Acute Malnutrition in Children

The Effect of Supplementary Food on Recovery From Moderate Acute Malnutrition in Pre-school Children in Rural Mexico

Children with moderate acute malnutrition will be recruited in order to receive an intervention which consists in the consumption of a single serving of SF-cookies daily, 7-days a week for 12 months and 12 educational sessions on health and nutrition.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children (2-5 years old), who are from low socioeconomic classes (E and D classes),
• reside in rural areas, and with WHZ- between > -3 and ≤ -2, and
• informed consent given by the subject's mother or caregiver

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe acute malnutrition (HAZ, WAZ and WHZ-scores ≤-3) based on the 2006 World Health Organization (WHO) reference values (24)
• Vitamin A deficiency (softening, ulceration, cloudiness of the cornea, and dryness of the conjunctivitis), and iodine deficiency (visible goiter)
• (3 or more episodes of loose/liquid stools/per day and lasted more than 24-hours), fever (high temperature that lasted more than 24 hours as reported by the mother/caregiver), and respiratory infections (coughing and/or runny nose that last more than 24 hours).
• Current consumption of other supplementary foods.
• Peanut or other ingredient allergy based on prior report. If some direct family member is allergic to peanuts, child would not be enrolled.