[Sustained feeding in acute diarrhea in children below 5 years of age]

To identify locally available and culturally acceptable foods for children with acute diarrhea, and test their acceptance and effect on the child's weight.

142 mothers of children younger than five years of age living in rural communities were interviewed to indentify culturally accepted diets by means of group sorting. These were displayed in a multidimensional scale. A descriptive study was performed of the clinical course of 54 children, ages 4 to 50 months who received the designed diets during the first 48 hours of diarrhea.

The designed diets considered age of the child, and stage of the disease. Children spent 47.6 +/- 22.2 h in the hospital during which they consumed 44.8 +/- 28.6 kcal/kg/day (additional to breast milk) and they gained 70.6 +/- 179.7 g. A direct relationship was observed between increasing age and larger caloric intake, and between this and greater weight gain.

Children showed good acceptance of diets. Caloric intake was enough to prevent weight loss.