Testing different formulas on prognosis of diarrhea with ORT and nutrition status of toddlers

ABSTRACT

One hundred and thirty children, whose age were 12-24 months having diarrhea for duration not more than 24 hours were the subjects of the study. The weight and height were registered at the start of the study and one week after the diarrhea has stopped. The duration of diarrhea was recorded for each child. All children received ORS to correct dehydration. After rehydration children were classified into 3 groups; each received one type supplement beside their usual feeding as follows forty nine received carbohydrate based formula, forty one received protein based formula, and forty were fed traditional home food. They continued taking ORS beside the supplement. The nutritional status was assessed using NCHS/CDC weight for height% of reference median and Waterlow classification [1972]. The results showed that 39.0% of children fed on plant protein based formula recovered from diarrhea after two days, while 40.8% of children fed on carbohydrate based formula and 37.5% of children fed traditional home food recovered after3 days. The percent of improvement of the under-weight children [weight for height] was highest among the group of children supplemented by plant protein based formula [33.3%], the lowest was among the group of children supplemented with traditional home food. Plant protein based formula in this study reduced the duration of diarrhea and improved the nutritional status of children better than the traditional home food or the carbohydrate based formula