Simplifying and optimising management of acute malnutrition in children aged 6 to 59 months: study protocol for a community-based individually randomised controlled trial in Kasai, Democratic Republic of Congo.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Acute malnutrition (AM) is a continuum condition, arbitrarily divided into moderate and severe AM (SAM) categories, funded and managed in separate programmes under different protocols. Optimising acute MAlnutrition (OptiMA) treatment aims to simplify and optimise AM management by treating children with mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) <125 mm or oedema with one product-ready-to-use therapeutic food-at a gradually tapered dose. Our main objective was to compare the OptiMA strategy with the standard nutritional protocol in children 6-59 months presenting with MUAC <125 mm or oedema without additional complications, as well as in children classified as uncomplicated SAM (ie, MUAC <115 mm or weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) <-3 or with oedema).

Methods and analysis

SUBMITTER: Cazes C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7713214 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature