Abstract

How do children with severe underweight and wasting respond to treatment? A pooled secondary data analysis to inform future intervention studies

Odei Obeng-Amoako, G. A. Stobaugh, H. Wrottesley, S. V. Khara, T. Binns, P. Trehan, I. Black, R. E. Webb, P. Mwangome, M. Bailey, J. Bahwere, P. Dolan, C. Boyd, E. Briend, A. Myatt, M. A. Lelijveld, N.
Matern Child Nutr. 2023; 19e13434

Permanent descriptor

https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13434

Children with weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) <-3 have a high risk of death, yet this indicator is not widely used in nutrition treatment programming. This pooled secondary data analysis of children aged 6-59 months aimed to examine the prevalence, treatment outcomes, and growth trajectories of children with WAZ /=-3 receiving outpatient treatment for wasting and/or nutritional oedema, to inform future protocols. Binary treatment outcomes between WAZ /=-3 admissions were compared using logistic regression. Recovery was defined as attaining mid-upper-arm circumference >/=12.5 cm and weight-for-height z-score >/=-2, without oedema, within a period of 17 weeks of admission. Data from 24,829 children from 9 countries drawn from 13 datasets were included. 55% of wasted children had WAZ <-3. Children admitted with WAZ /=-3 had lower recovery rates (28.3% vs. 48.7%), higher risk of death (1.8% vs. 0.7%), and higher risk of transfer to inpatient care (6.2% vs. 3.8%). Growth trajectories showed that children with WAZ /=-3. If moderately wasted children with WAZ <-3 were treated in therapeutic programmes alongside severely wasted children, we estimate caseloads would increase by 32%. Our findings suggest that wasted children with WAZ <-3 are an especially vulnerable group and those with moderate wasting and WAZ <-3 likely require a higher intensity of nutritional support than is currently recommended. Longer or improved treatment may be necessary, and the timeline and definition of recovery likely need review.