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Malaria and Nutritional Status Among Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition in Niger: A Prospective Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT: Background:The relationship between malaria infection and nutritional status is complex. Previous studies suggest malaria may increase the incidence and severity of malnutrition, while malnutrition may increase the risk of malaria infection. Here, we report bidirectional associations between malaria and nutritional status among children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Methods:This study is a secondary analysis of a randomized, controlled trial for the treatment of uncomplicated SAM in Niger. Children aged 6-59 months were enrolled and followed for 12 weeks. Malaria infection was assessed using an histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) rapid diagnostic test at admission and at any follow-up visit with fever. We assessed the association of nutritional status at admission on malaria incidence using Cox proportional hazards regression and malaria infection at admission on nutritional recovery and weight and height gain using linear regression. Results:Of 2399 children included in the analysis, 1327 (55.3%) were infected with malaria at admission. Malaria incidence was 12.1 cases/100 person-months among those without malaria infection at admission. Nutritional status at admission was not associated with malaria incidence. Children with malaria infection at admission and subsequently treated with an artemisinin-based combination therapy had increased weight gain (0.38 g/kg/day; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07 to 0.69) and reduced height gain (-0.002 mm/day; 95% CI, -0.004 to -0.0008). Conclusions:Malaria infection was common among children treated for uncomplicated SAM. Malaria infection may impair height gain. Proper medical and nutritional management should be ensured to prevent adverse effects of malaria infection. Clinical Trials Registration:NCT01613547.

SUBMITTER: Oldenburg CE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6137121 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Malaria and Nutritional Status Among Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition in Niger: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Oldenburg Catherine E CE Guerin Philippe J PJ Berthé Fatou F Grais Rebecca F RF Isanaka Sheila S

Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 20180901 7

<h4>Background</h4>The relationship between malaria infection and nutritional status is complex. Previous studies suggest malaria may increase the incidence and severity of malnutrition, while malnutrition may increase the risk of malaria infection. Here, we report bidirectional associations between malaria and nutritional status among children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM).<h4>Methods</h4>This study is a secondary analysis of a randomized, controlled trial for the treatment ...[more]

PMID: 29522089

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Project description:BackgroundFinding the most appropriate strategy for the prevention of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in young children is essential in countries like Niger with annual "hunger gaps." Options for large-scale prevention include distribution of supplementary foods, such as fortified-blended foods or lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) with or without household support (cash or food transfer). To date, there has been no direct controlled comparison between these strategies leading to debate concerning their effectiveness. We compared the effectiveness of seven preventive strategies-including distribution of nutritious supplementary foods, with or without additional household support (family food ration or cash transfer), and cash transfer only-on the incidence of SAM and MAM among children aged 6-23 months over a 5-month period, partly overlapping the hunger gap, in Maradi region, Niger. We hypothesized that distributions of supplementary foods would more effectively reduce the incidence of acute malnutrition than distributions of household support by cash transfer.Methods and findingsWe conducted a prospective intervention study in 48 rural villages located within 15 km of a health center supported by Forum Santé Niger (FORSANI)/Médecins Sans Frontières in Madarounfa. Seven groups of villages (five to 11 villages) were allocated to different strategies of monthly distributions targeting households including at least one child measuring 60 cm-80 cm (at any time during the study period whatever their nutritional status): three groups received high-quantity LNS (HQ-LNS) or medium-quantity LNS (MQ-LNS) or Super Cereal Plus (SC+) with cash (€38/month [US$52/month]); one group received SC+ and family food ration; two groups received HQ-LNS or SC+ only; one group received cash only (€43/month [US$59/month]). Children 60 cm-80 cm of participating households were assessed at each monthly distribution from August to December 2011. Primary endpoints were SAM (weight-for-length Z-score [WLZ]<-3 and/or mid-upper arm circumference [MUAC]<11.5 cm and/or bipedal edema) and MAM (-3≤WLZ<-2 and/or 11.5≤MUAC<12.5 cm). A total of 5,395 children were included in the analysis (615 to 1,054 per group). Incidence of MAM was twice lower in the strategies receiving a food supplement combined with cash compared with the cash-only strategy (cash versus HQ-LNS/cash adjusted hazard ratio [HR]=2.30, 95% CI 1.60-3.29; cash versus SC+/cash HR=2.42, 95% CI 1.39-4.21; cash versus MQ-LNS/cash HR=2.07, 95% CI 1.52-2.83) or with the supplementary food only groups (HQ-LNS versus HQ-LNS/cash HR=1.84, 95% CI 1.35-2.51; SC+ versus SC+/cash HR=2.53, 95% CI 1.47-4.35). In addition, the incidence of SAM was three times lower in the SC+/cash group compared with the SC+ only group (SC+ only versus SC+/cash HR=3.13, 95% CI 1.65-5.94). However, non-quantified differences between groups, may limit the interpretation of the impact of the strategies.ConclusionsPreventive distributions combining a supplementary food and cash transfer had a better preventive effect on MAM and SAM than strategies relying on cash transfer or supplementary food alone. As a result, distribution of nutritious supplementary foods to young children in conjunction with household support should remain a pillar of emergency nutritional interventions. Additional rigorous research is vital to evaluate the effectiveness of these and other nutritional interventions in diverse settings.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01828814 Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Project description:Background:Community-based treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) has proven to be safe and cost-effective, although identifying additional factors that can increase recovery and decrease treatment failure may improve program effectiveness. We examine the association of dietary diversity and clinical and program treatment outcomes among children treated for uncomplicated SAM in Niger. Methods:Two thousand four hundred twelve children were enrolled in a randomized trial of routine amoxicillin in the treatment of uncomplicated SAM from 2012 to 2014. All children received ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF) and standard clinical care. Child dietary diversity was assessed using a 7-day food frequency questionnaire and 8-food group diet diversity score. We assessed the association of dietary diversity at admission with nutritional recovery, hospitalization, and death at program discharge and 12 weeks, and weight and height gain. Results:Food groups most commonly consumed by children in seven days preceding SAM treatment were cereals, roots and tubers (N =?2364, 99.5%) and vitamin A rich fruits and vegetables (N =?2253, 94.8%). Egg (N =?472, 19.9%) and dairy (N =?659, 27.7%) consumption was low. Mean (SD) diet diversity score was significantly lower in the lean vs. non-lean season [2.7 (1.1) vs. 2.9 (1.0)]. There was no evidence that dietary diversity increased nutritional recovery at discharge (RR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.04) or 12 weeks (RR: 0.98, 95%CI: 0.94, 1.02). No significant association was found with risk of hospitalization or death, or weight and height gain. Egg consumption was protective against death at discharge (RR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.70) and 12 weeks (RR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.96). Vitamin A rich fruits and vegetable consumption was associated with greater risk of mortality in children at discharge (RR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.56) and 12 weeks (RR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.36). Conclusions:We did not find evidence that dietary diversity influenced nutrition recovery or response to treatment for children with uncomplicated SAM in Niger. It is feasible consumption of nutrient-dense foods like eggs may be important for recovery from SAM. There is need for continued research to further elucidate drivers of nutritional recovery from acute malnutrition in different settings. Trial registration:Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01613547. Registered May 26, 2012.

Project description:BackgroundTackling severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is a global health priority. Heightened risk of non-communicable diseases (NCD) in children exposed to SAM at around 2 years of age is plausible in view of previously described consequences of other early nutritional insults. By applying developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) theory to this group, we aimed to explore the long-term effects of SAM.MethodsWe followed up 352 Malawian children (median age 9·3 years) who were still alive following SAM inpatient treatment between July 12, 2006, and March 7, 2007, (median age 24 months) and compared them with 217 sibling controls and 184 age-and-sex matched community controls. Our outcomes of interest were anthropometry, body composition, lung function, physical capacity (hand grip, step test, and physical activity), and blood markers of NCD risk. For comparisons of all outcomes, we used multivariable linear regression, adjusted for age, sex, HIV status, and socioeconomic status. We also adjusted for puberty in the body composition regression model.FindingsCompared with controls, children who had survived SAM had lower height-for-age Z scores (adjusted difference vs community controls 0·4, 95% CI 0·6 to 0·2, p=0·001; adjusted difference vs sibling controls 0·2, 0·0 to 0·4, p=0·04), although they showed evidence of catch-up growth. These children also had shorter leg length (adjusted difference vs community controls 2·0 cm, 1·0 to 3·0, p<0·0001; adjusted difference vs sibling controls 1·4 cm, 0·5 to 2·3, p=0·002), smaller mid-upper arm circumference (adjusted difference vs community controls 5·6 mm, 1·9 to 9·4, p=0·001; adjusted difference vs sibling controls 5·7 mm, 2·3 to 9·1, p=0·02), calf circumference (adjusted difference vs community controls 0·49 cm, 0·1 to 0·9, p=0·01; adjusted difference vs sibling controls 0·62 cm, 0·2 to 1·0, p=0·001), and hip circumference (adjusted difference vs community controls 1·56 cm, 0·5 to 2·7, p=0·01; adjusted difference vs sibling controls 1·83 cm, 0·8 to 2·8, p<0·0001), and less lean mass (adjusted difference vs community controls -24·5, -43 to -5·5, p=0·01; adjusted difference vs sibling controls -11·5, -29 to -6, p=0·19) than did either sibling or community controls. Survivors of SAM had functional deficits consisting of weaker hand grip (adjusted difference vs community controls -1·7 kg, 95% CI -2·4 to -0·9, p<0·0001; adjusted difference vs sibling controls 1·01 kg, 0·3 to 1·7, p=0·005,)) and fewer minutes completed of an exercise test (sibling odds ratio [OR] 1·59, 95% CI 1·0 to 2·5, p=0·04; community OR 1·59, 95% CI 1·0 to 2·5, p=0·05). We did not detect significant differences between cases and controls in terms of lung function, lipid profile, glucose tolerance, glycated haemoglobin A1c, salivary cortisol, sitting height, and head circumference.InterpretationOur results suggest that SAM has long-term adverse effects. Survivors show patterns of so-called thrifty growth, which is associated with future cardiovascular and metabolic disease. The evidence of catch-up growth and largely preserved cardiometabolic and pulmonary functions suggest the potential for near-full rehabilitation. Future follow-up should try to establish the effects of puberty and later dietary or social transitions on these parameters, as well as explore how best to optimise recovery and quality of life for survivors.FundingThe Wellcome Trust.

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Malaria and Nutritional Status Among Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition in Niger: A Prospective Cohort Study.

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Malaria and Nutritional Status Among Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition in Niger: A Prospective Cohort Study.

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