TITLE:
Effectiveness of Enriched Flour in the Recovery of Children Aged 6 to 59 Months with Moderate Acute Malnutrition
AUTHORS:
Oumalkher Youssouf Adam, Imar Djibrine Soudy, Abdoullahi Hissein Ousman, Mablahi Amina Kanika, Mahamat Garba
KEYWORDS:
Moderate Acute Malnutrition, Local Food, Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (Plumpy’ Sup)
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.14 No.7,
July
25,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: In Chad, malnutrition is a silent emergency. Yet the use of local
products in the fight against malnutrition is essential. The purpose of this
study was to compare the efficacy of locally sourced enriched flour in the recovery of children 6 to 59 months of moderate
acute malnourishment compared to Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (Plumpy’ Sup)
in the city of Abéché-Chad. Methodology: This study took place from 1 October 2021 to 31 January 2022 in the city of
Abéché, capital of the province of Ouaddaï. It was conducted in eight (8) urban
health centers in the city of Abéché and concerned eighty (80) children with
moderate acute malnutrition. It was based on a consumption assessment of two
complementary foods by two groups of children. The assessment of nutritional
status was made through anthropometric data such as weight, height and brachial
perimeter. Results: All 80
children were tested for moderate acute malnutrition. Two complementary
foods have been used which are locally produced flour and the Ready-to-Use
Therapeutic Food. The study showed that the group 1 who consumed the locally
produced flour had an average weight gain of 1100 g and the group 2 who consumed
the Plumpy sup had an average weight gain of 400 g. Conclusion: The present study carried out in Abéché allowed us to compare the effectiveness of locally produced weaning flours
with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods on moderate malnourished child weight
growth in the nutritional units of the town of Abéché.