Can Sever Acute Malnourished children be effectively rehabilitated physically, biochemically and developmentally at nutritional rehabilitation centers: A follow up study from Ujjain

BACKGROUND: Under-nutrition has got serious and lasting impact on health, development, society and economy. It may result in poor growth, development of child and can cause increase mortality, morbidity, health care cost, low productivity and economic growth. Nutritional rehabilitation is one of key intervention to address the under nutrition. It is questionable that nutritional intervention has potential to improve multiple domains. METHODS: Follow up study evaluated the multi-domain impact of nutritional interventions on 204 admitted Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) children. Data was analyzed with SPSS version 20. RESULTS: Significant positive changes were observed in physical, biochemical, developmental domains. Macnemar, paired t- test, co relation, z test were applied for data analysis. CONCLUSION: Nutritional intervention was found to be effective in improving selected physical, biochemical and developmental parameters. After discharge rate of improvement in anthropometric parameters was less. Actual quantification of recovery especially in biochemical and developmental parameters due to nutritional intervention is difficult.