Related Experiment Videos
Children discharged following nutritional rehabilitation: a follow-up study
1Children Fund (UK), Nairobi, Kenya.
Insights
Children discharged from nutritional rehabilitation centres (NRCs) in Nepal showed catch-up growth but had higher mortality. Long-term nutritional status, especially for girls, requires further attention post-discharge.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutrition Science
- Global Health
Background:
- Malnutrition remains a significant public health issue in low-income countries.
- Nutritional rehabilitation centres (NRCs) aim to address severe childhood malnutrition.
- Long-term outcomes for children after NRC discharge require comprehensive evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the 1-year follow-up outcomes of children discharged from a nutritional rehabilitation centre (NRC) in eastern Nepal.
- To compare the growth and survival rates of children who attended an NRC with matched control groups.
- To identify factors influencing long-term recovery and identify potential disparities in outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A 1-year prospective follow-up study involving 101 children discharged from an NRC.
- Home visits conducted at discharge, 6 months, and 1 year post-discharge.
- Concurrent data collection on matched siblings and neighbours, including anthropometry, socio-economic variables, and feeding practices.
Main Results:
- Index children exhibited a significantly higher mortality rate compared to control groups.
- Post-discharge, index children demonstrated catch-up growth in weight and height.
- At 1-year follow-up, mean height-for-age remained lower in index children versus controls, with poorer prognosis for girls.
Conclusions:
- While NRCs facilitate short-term catch-up growth, long-term survival remains a concern.
- Sustained nutritional support and monitoring are crucial for improving long-term outcomes.
- Gender disparities in recovery suggest specific vulnerabilities requiring targeted interventions.
Abstract:
The results of a 1-year follow up of children discharged from a nutritional rehabilitation centre (NRC) in eastern Nepal are presented. One hundred and one children were visited at home on discharge from the NRC, at 6 months and 1 year later. Data were collected concurrently on one sibling and two neighbouring children matched for age and sex. Anthropometry was carried out at each visit and information collected on socio-economic variables and child feeding practices. A significantly higher death rate was observed in index children as compared with controls. Index children demonstrated catch-up growth with both greater weight gain and faster increases in height than either control group post-discharge. At 6 months, mean weight-for-height was similar in all three groups but at one year mean height-for-age was still lower in the index children as compared with controls. The prognosis for female children appeared to be poorer than for boys.