Cereals and pulse-based ready-to-use therapeutic food as an alternative to the standard milk- and peanut paste-based formulation for treating severe acute malnutrition: a noninferiority, individually randomized controlled efficacy clinical trial
Ready-to-use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF)
Year Published: 2016
Journal
Am J Clinic Nutr
Authors
Bahwere P, Balaluka B, Wells JC, Mbiribindi CN, Sadler K, Akomo P, Dramaix-Wilmet M, Collins S
Methods
This study compared the effectveness of a sorghum-maize-corn ready-to-use therapeutic food (SMS-RUTF) to peanut-RUTF (P-RUTF). Authors used a nonblinded, parallel-group, simple randomized controlled trial along with a day care approach that enrolled 2 groups of children aged 6-23 and 24-59 mo, respectively, with severe acute malnutrition.
Key Findings
Key Findings: Although in children 24 months or older, treatment with SMS-RUTF was comparable to P-RUTF, the recovery rate in children 23 months or younger was inferior for SMS-RUTF when compared to P-RUTF. Conclusion: SMS-RUTF may be used to treat severe acute malnutrition in children 24 months and older but not in younger children. In younger children, the P-RUTF is superior.
