The impact of Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF) in targeted supplementation of children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) in South Africa
South African Family Practice
| Field | Value | |
| Title | The impact of Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF) in targeted supplementation of children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) in South Africa | |
| Creator | Steenkamp, Liana Lategan, Ronette Raubenheimer, Jacques | |
| Description | Objective: To describe catch-up growth in children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) on targeted supplementation using Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF). Methods: An impact study was done to determine anthropometric changes in children aged 12–60 months who received RUSF (175 kcal/kg/day) for six weeks, managed as outpatients and followed up for 12 weeks until a final assessment. Results: Default rates were high, with 30% of children returning to the primary healthcare facility for follow-up only once or twice. Despite significant improvement in height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), 70.5% of the sample remained in the same malnutrition classification and only 26% recovered. The growth velocity of children with a lower initial WHZ was significantly higher (r = –0.15, p 0.05) than those with less wasting, but only 20% grew at a rate to achieve catch-up growth. The mean growth velocity decreased as the intervention period continued. Conclusion: All median anthropometric indicators improved with RUSF supplementation. However, catch-up growth or recovery occurred in only 20–25% of children included in the study. These findings create questions about the value of supplementation in the absence of blanket food distribution or other interventions to address food security. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2015-09-01 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/safp.v57i5.4192 | |
| Source | South African Family Practice; Vol 57, No 5 (2015): September/October; 4 2078-6204 2078-6190 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/4192/7696
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