Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) affects nearly 20 million preschool-age children. Malnutrition is
a risk factor in approximately one third of deaths in children who are under 5 years of age
worldwide. Outpatient treatment of uncomplicated (SAM) is increasingly provided, using ready-touse
therapeutic foods (RUTF) & home-based management with locally homemade food.
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the effectiveness of Iraqi locally-prepared, home-made food in outpatient management
of moderate and SAM in children aged 6-59mo, and to assess foods complying with specific
nutritional compositions of standard ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF), recommended by
WHO.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
This is a Hospital-based cross sectional study was conducted at Fatema Al-Zahraa Hospital for
Maternity and Children in Baghdad from 1st Jan 2018 to 31st Dec 2018 in an attempt to assess
the use of locally-prepared, home-made food prepared high energy-dense food in outpatient
management of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and SAM in form of four recipes which were
designed in nutrition research institute, MOH. This is done by following the weight and length or
height of (76) patients with MAM or SAM every two weeks depending on WHO growth standards;
Weight-for-Length (W/L) or weight-for-height (W/H) Reference Card.
RESULTS:
The total number of patients who completed the study were 76; 31 (41%) males and 45 (59%)
females. The most common age group was 6 -12 months 51 (67.1% ) with a relatively MAM
predominance 43(56.6%) patients, over SAM 33(43.4%) patients. The recovery rate was 66 patients
(86.8%) while 10 patients (13.6%) were referred to inpatient treatment. The wt. gain was > 5 g/kg/d
in 34 (51.5%) patients and consistent with WHO recommendations. The mean duration of treatment was (5.93 ± 2.63) weeks.
CONCLUSION:
A locally homemade prepared food is highly relevant and it is good alternative and might be used as
substituent for imported RUTF in outpatient management of acute malnutrition.