| dc.description.abstract | A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of feeding malnourished children with
fermented amaranth-finger millet- pumpkin composite porridge (FP) on their
nutritional, vitamin A, zinc and iron status. The feeding study was done in
comparative trials with non-fermented porridge (NFP). The children aged 7-24
months were sampled from those attending Maternal Child Health clinics (MCH) at
Thika District Hospital (TDH). A total of 61 children whose weight for age Z-score
was between -3.00 to - 2.00 SD were recruited. The children were randomly
allocated to two groups: children for fermented porridge flour (FPF group) and
children for non- fermented porridge flour (NFPF group). The two porridges were
prepared as flours and the ration for the children supplied to the mothers with
instructions to prepare and feed the children in their homes. The feeding period
lasted six weeks. The nutritional, protein, vitamin A, iron and zinc status of the
children were determined at the start and end of the study. The dietary intake by the
children and the morbidity of the children were also assessed at the two points.
Laboratory analysis of the nutritional and the microbiological quality of the flours
were carried out.
Result showed the energy content of NFPF to be 365Kcalll OOg, slightly lower than
that of FPF at 382Kca1l100g. The protein contents of the flours were 8.8gll OOgfor
NFP and 9.2g1l00g for FPF and this contributed to 58% and 61% of the RDA for the
children. Beta-carotene content for NFPF was 146 ug/I OOg;significantly lower than
that of the FPF at 180 Ilgll OOg.
The 24-hour dietary recall showed that the study children met the Recommended
Dietary Allowance (RDA) for energy, protein, iron and zinc after supplementation of
their diets with the porridge flours. The RDA for protein and iron were significantly
higher after supplementation with FPF than aftersupplementation with NFPF.
The study children were undernourished at the start but after intervention the
proportion of those undernourished reduced significantly (P<O.05). The underweight,
wasting and stunting of the FPF group reduced from 50.8% to 4.9%, 40.8% to 16.4%
and 45.8% to 1.6% respectively while those supplemented with NFPF reduced from
48.8% to 31.8%, 42.6% t031.1 % and 44.2% to 12.9% respectively. The change in
weight was significantly higher (p<0.05) for FPF group than for NFPF group.
However, the change in height was not significant between the groups.
There was no significance difference in nutritional status of the children between the
two groups before feeding. However there was a significance difference (p<O.05) in
nutritional status after feeding with FPF group having a mean weight for age Z-score
of 0.71, height for age Z-score of -0.52 and weight for height Z-score of 1.30
compared to mean weight for age Z-score of -1.31, height for age Z-score of -1 .44
and weight for height Z-score of -0.79 for the NFPF group.
There was no significant difference in mean haemoglobin levels at a mean of 9.53
g/dl and 9.47g/dl of the children in FPF and NFPF groups respectively at start of
feeding. However, there was a significant difference in mean haemoglobin levels
(1l.60g/dl and 10.79/dl) between FPF and NFPF groups after feeding. There was no
significant difference (p>0.05) in the mean total serum protein concentration (7.15
g/dl and 7.1 g/dl) for FPF and NFPF group at start between the groups. There was,
however, a significant difference (p<0.05) in the mean total serum protein (7.46 g/dl
and 7.28 g/dl) for FPF and NFPF group respectively between the study groups after
end of study. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the mean zinc
levels (66.74 ug/dl and 65.75 ug/dl) ofFPF and NFPF groups respectively at start of
study. However, after feeding there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between
the in mean zinc levels (7l.64 ug/dl and 69.23flg/dl) of the groups.
There was no significant difference between the increases in the serum retinol of the
groups post intervention. Before feeding, 18.2% of children in FPF and 10.9% in
NFPF had normal levels of serum retinol. After the intervention 34.5% of children in
FPF and 27.3% ofNFPF children had normal levels of vitamin A, but the changes
were not significantly different between the groups.
The study concludes that fermented composite porridge flour (FPF) improved the
nutritional, protein, vitamin A iron and zinc status of the children, better than the
unfermented composite porridge flour (NFPF). | en |
