A hand-made supplementary food for malnourished children

A hand-made supplementary food for malnourished children

Authors

  • Maurizio Vanelli University of Parma
  • Raffaele Virdis University of Parma
  • Sandro Contini University of Parma
  • Mara Corradi University of Parma
  • Giulia Cremonini University of Parma
  • Maddalena Marchesi University of Parma
  • Alessandra Mele Unversity of Parma
  • Francesca Monti University of Parma
  • Blandina Pagano University of Parma
  • Ilaria Proietti University of Parma
  • Francesca Savina University of Parma
  • Marta Verna University of Parma
  • Rosa Vitale University of Parma
  • Matteo Zanzucchi University of Parma
  • Furio Brighenti University of Parma
  • Elena Vittadini Department of Food Sciences, University of Parma, Parma,Italy;
  • Daniele Del Rio University of Parma
  • Francesca Scazzina University of Parma
  • Andrea Porcu Universiy of Sassari

Keywords:

malnutrition, malnourished children, RUTF

Abstract

We tested the possibility to prepare a hyperproteic and hyperenergetic supplementary food for malnutrition rehabilitation in children starting from available ingredients in popular markets in Sierra Leone. Twelve residents in Paediatrics from University of Parma, Italy, prepared in a hospital near the capital Freetown with modest technology a mixture of peanut flour, palm oil, milk powder, sugar and vitamins to which they gave the name of ”Parma pap”. Three hundred and thirty-two malnourished children (mean age 14±6.3 months) who were receiving Feeding Program Supplementations (FPS), were enrolled in the study: 177 participants received randomly FSP portions only (Group 1), and 159 participants were treated with FSP regimen plus a supplement of “Parma pap” (Group 2). Outcomes of the study were computed as WHZ-score increment (Δ value) by subtracting the discharge WHZ-score from the admission WHZ-score. The best Δ-WHZ-scores (>+4) were recorded among participants of Group 2 (64%) rather than in Group 1 (21%; p=0.040). The children receiving FSP portions plus “Parma pap” recovered faster (5.54 week on average) than those treated with FSP regimen only (8.16 on average). The percentage of children who did not recover was higher in Group 1 (25.3%) than in Group 2 (; 13%; p=0.05). A slight positive correlation has been found between WHZ-scores at admission and at the end of the study (r=0.19; p=0.045). During the experience in Sierra Leone we have had the chance to give “Parma pap” to twenty one malnourished children admitted to Xaverian Mission in Makeni, northern Sierra Leone, not taking other supplementary food. Sixteen of these children recovered in 4.9 week on average and five in 6 to 8 weeks. Mean Δ-WHZ-scores ranged between + 1 and + 5. The data from the present study suggest that “Parma pap” could be an effective additional food to FPS regimen in malnutrition recovering. Further researches are needed on the contrary to prove if “Parma pap” could be defined as a veritable ready to use therapeutic food, although this characteristic seems already to result from the experience in Makeni Mission.

Author Biographies

Maurizio Vanelli, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paediatrics

Raffaele Virdis, University of Parma

Postgradate School of Paediatrics

Sandro Contini, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Pediatrics

Mara Corradi, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paeatrics

Giulia Cremonini, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paediatrics

Maddalena Marchesi, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paediatrics

Alessandra Mele, Unversity of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paediatrics

Francesca Monti, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paediatrics

Blandina Pagano, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paediatrics

Ilaria Proietti, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paediatrics

Francesca Savina, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paediatrics

Marta Verna, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paediatrics

Rosa Vitale, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paediatrics

Matteo Zanzucchi, University of Parma

Postgraduate School of Paediatrics

Furio Brighenti, University of Parma

Department of Food Sciences

Daniele Del Rio, University of Parma

Department of Food Sciences

Francesca Scazzina, University of Parma

Department of Food Sciences

Andrea Porcu, Universiy of Sassari

Department of Paediatrics

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Published

17-12-2014

Issue

Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

How to Cite

1.
Vanelli M, Virdis R, Contini S, Corradi M, Cremonini G, Marchesi M, et al. A hand-made supplementary food for malnourished children. Acta Biomed [Internet]. 2014 Dec. 17 [cited 2024 Jul. 26];85(3):236-42. Available from: https://mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/actabiomedica/article/view/3978