Improvement in appetite among stunted children receiving nutritional intervention in Bangladesh: results from a community-based study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Stunted children often have poor appetite, which may limit their response to nutritional interventions. We investigated the effect of a nutritional intervention on the appetite status of stunted children. METHODS: A longitudinal prospective intervention study was conducted with 50 stunted (length for age; LAZ < −2) (age and sex matched) aged 12–18 months and their mothers in Bauniabadh slum of Dhaka city. The stunted children received the following intervention package: one boiled egg and 150 ml milk daily 6 days a week for 3 months; psychosocial stimulation including structured play activities and parental counseling for 6 months; routine clinical care. Appetite status was measured using an interview-based tool “Early Childhood Appetite and Satiety Tool.” RESULTS: Over the period of nutritional intervention, the mean appetite score increased from 49 to 60 in the stunted children and was associated with increased food consumption. Over the intervention period, both egg and milk consumption increased (40.3–49.6 g and 83.8–138.5 ml, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of appetite status using EACST appears to be a useful tool for monitoring a nutritional intervention in stunted children. This tool may be useful for programs in managing child stunting in low-income countries and an important way to assess the efficacy of a nutritional intervention in these children.