Supplementary feeding of malnourished children in northern Iraq

The effectiveness of the supplementary feeding programme for malnourished children aged 6 months to 3 years in Dohuk province, northern Iraq was evaluated. The enrolment criterion was child weight > or = 2 standard deviations below standard weight-for-age. Children enrolled in the programme in January 2001 were followed over 7 months. Children received high-protein high-energy biscuits in the first month and a monthly child ration for preparing soyabean mix throughout. Their families received food rations in the first 4 months. Improvement was noticed for all children, particularly in the first month. Problems with the rations and within the growth monitoring units resulted in significant drop-out. Use of standard growth charts may be a way to overcome this problem. High-protein biscuits should be distributed throughout instead of the mix.