The effect of short-term preoperative nutritional intervention for cleft surgery eligibility.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Children with orofacial clefts are highly susceptible to malnutrition, with severe malnutrition restricting their eligibility to receive safe surgery. Ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF) are an effective treatment for malnutrition; however, the effectiveness has not been demonstrated in this patient population prior to surgery. We studied the effectiveness of short-term RUTF use in transitioning children with malnutrition, who were initially ineligible for surgery, into surgical candidates.

Methods

A cohort of patients from Ghana, Honduras, Malawi, Madagascar, Nicaragua, and Venezuela enrolled in a nutrition program were followed by Operation Smile from June 2017 to January 2020. Age, weight, and length/height were tracked at each visit. Patients were included u

SUBMITTER: Mikhail S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10012294 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature