Overview

Reports from the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) in Kwale County, southern Kenya, indicate a limited impact of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs) on malnutrition or anemia. The current RUTF formulation may have an excessively high iron content. In severely acutely malnourished (SAM) children, iron cannot be properly absorbed, leading to life-threatening diarrhea. The overall aim of this project is to develop an improved RUTF treatment that addresses acute malnutrition and anemia in children, ensuring both safety and efficacy. Specifically, to assess the impact of malnutrition on fractional iron absorption (FIA) from RUTFs in children, by comparing healthy children to those with acute malnutrition and by tracking changes in FIA in malnourished children over the course of treatment.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

malnourished children:

• severe acute malnutrition (SAM): WHZ \< -3.0
• moderate acute malnutrition (MAM): WHZ \< -2.0 a
• treated as outpatients (no acute medical conditions and a positive appetite test)

healthy children:

\- healthy: HAZ, WAZ and WHZ = 0

Exclusion Criteria (both groups):

• Hemoglobin ≤7 g/dL
• Presence of acute medical conditions requiring inpatient management