Results with Complementary Food Using Local Food Ingredients

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Public Health
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Optimal infant and child growth necessitates appropriate complementary feeding, yet poverty and lack of awareness hinder its provision in Bangladesh.
• High childhood malnutrition rates (77% of children lack appropriate complementary food) underscore the urgent need for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and assess the efficacy of ready-to-use complementary foods (RUCFs) using local ingredients (rice/lentil, chickpea) in preventing and treating childhood malnutrition.
• To compare the nutritional impact of these RUCFs against existing supplementary foods like wheat-soy blend++ (WSB++) and Plumpy'doz.

Main Methods:

• A cluster-randomized community-based trial involving over 5,000 children in rural Bangladesh.
• Comparison of rice/lentil-based RUCFs and chickpea-based RUCFs against WSB++ and Plumpy'doz, with a control group.

Main Results:

• Rice/lentil, chickpea RUCFs, and Plumpy'doz significantly reduced deceleration in length-for-age compared to the control.
• Chickpea RUCF and Plumpy'doz showed a lower decline in weight-for-length z-score.
• The prevalence of stunting was 5-6% lower at 18 months in children receiving chickpea RUCF or Plumpy'doz; WSB++ showed no significant difference from the control.

Conclusions:

• Locally developed RUCFs using rice/lentil and chickpea are acceptable and effective in improving growth and reducing stunting among children in Bangladesh.
• These RUCFs offer a promising strategy for preventing and treating malnutrition, especially in food-insecure populations.