Odei Obeng-Amoako, Gloria A; Stobaugh, Heather; Wrottesley, Stephanie V; Khara, Tanya; Binns, Paul; Trehan, Indi; Black, Robert E; Webb, Patrick; Mwangome, Martha; Bailey, Jeanette; +6 more... Bahwere, Paluku; Dolan, Carmel; Boyd, Erin; Briend, André; Myatt, Mark A; Lelijveld, Natasha; (2023) How do children with severe underweight and wasting respond to treatment? A pooled secondary data analysis to inform future intervention studies. Maternal & child nutrition, 19 (1). e13434-. ISSN 1740-8695 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13434
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Abstract
Children with weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) <-3 have a high risk of death, yet this indicator is not widely used in nutrition treatment programming. This pooled secondary data analysis of children aged 6-59 months aimed to examine the prevalence, treatment outcomes, and growth trajectories of children with WAZ <-3 versus children with WAZ ≥-3 receiving outpatient treatment for wasting and/or nutritional oedema, to inform future protocols. Binary treatment outcomes between WAZ <-3 and WAZ ≥-3 admissions were compared using logistic regression. Recovery was defined as attaining mid-upper-arm circumference ≥12.5 cm and weight-for-height z-score ≥-2, without oedema, within a period of 17 weeks of admission. Data from 24,829 children from 9 countries drawn from 13 datasets were included. 55% of wasted children had WAZ <-3. Children admitted with WAZ <-3 compared to those with WAZ ≥-3 had lower recovery rates (28.3% vs. 48.7%), higher risk of death (1.8% vs. 0.7%), and higher risk of transfer to inpatient care (6.2% vs. 3.8%). Growth trajectories showed that children with WAZ <-3 had markedly lower anthropometry at the start and end of care, however, their patterns of anthropometric gains were very similar to those with WAZ ≥-3. If moderately wasted children with WAZ <-3 were treated in therapeutic programmes alongside severely wasted children, we estimate caseloads would increase by 32%. Our findings suggest that wasted children with WAZ <-3 are an especially vulnerable group and those with moderate wasting and WAZ <-3 likely require a higher intensity of nutritional support than is currently recommended. Longer or improved treatment may be necessary, and the timeline and definition of recovery likely need review.
Item Type | Article |
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Faculty and Department | Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health > Dept of Population Health (2012- ) |
PubMed ID | 36262055 |
Elements ID | 196080 |
Official URL | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13434 |
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Filename: Amoako-etal-2022-How-do-children-with-severe.pdf
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