Impact of the lipid-based nutrient supplements on prevention and treatment of childhood moderate undernutrition, Titilope R. Oluwaniyi, Regina Keith, Jose-Lusi Alvarez and Amanda R. Amorim
Titilope Ruth Oluwaniyi
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation, London, UK
Regina Keith
University of Westminster, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Human and Health Sciences, Food, Nutrition and Public Health Division, London, UK
Jose-Luis Alvarez
Independent nutrition expert, formerly with Nutrition Department, Action against Hunger UK, London, UK
Amanda R Amorim (Corresponding author)
School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, UK
Email: A. Adegboye@greenwich.ac.uk
Purpose: This review aims at assessing the effectiveness of LNS interventions for prevention and/or treatment of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), stunting and other anthropometric indicators for undernutrition in children younger than 5 years.
Methodology: Eighteen clinical trials on LNS (soybased or milk-based) supplementation in children were compared with habitual diet/control or corn-soy blend (CSB). Mean changes in height for age (HAZ), weight for age (WAZ) and weight for height z-scores (WHZ) were assessed as primary outcomes. The secondary outcomes included: weight gain, height, mid upper arm circumference (MUAC), recovery from MAM, occurrence of fever, diarrhoea and cough.
Findings: The pooled estimate revealed a statistically significant increase in WAZ (weighted mean difference [WMD] =0.09; 95%CI= 0.02, 0.15; p=0.01), WHZ (WMD=0.14; 95%CI= 0.01, 0.26; p=0.000) and improved recovery from MAM (Risk Ratio [RR] = 1.37; 95%CI= 1.14, 1.65; p=0.000) in children receiving LNS compared with control or CBS. No significant effect was observed in HAZ (WMD=0.00;95%CI=-0.02,0.03: p=0.578). Children fed with milk-based LNS (RR=1.68; 95%CI=1.17, 2.39; p=0.005) were more likely to recover significantly from MAM when compared with CSB.
Conclusion: Although there is evidence that LNS yield better nutritional outcomes than CSB and control, it is impossible to conclude that the milk-based LNS are superior to soy-based LNS and whether age and duration of intervention significantly affect the effectiveness of LNS on childhood undernutrition. Further research is required before these products can be recommended at scale.
Keywords: Lipid-based nutrient supplements; undernutrition; CMAM; childhood
