Follow Up of Severely Malnourished Children (FUSAM)

Action Against Hunger

Status

Completed

Conditions

Severe Acute Malnutrition

Treatments

Other: NUT treatment

Other: NUTPSY treatment

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT02672982

ACFInternational

Details and patient eligibility

About

The overall objective of the research is to assess the long-term and cost-effectiveness of a combined nutrition psychosocial intervention to a stand-alone nutritional treatment of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) aged 6 to 24 months in the Saptari District of Nepal.

Full description

In Nepal, the majority of SAM children are treated with therapeutic food in community/home-based care, and little is known about the long-term sustainability of the nutritional and health benefits of treatment after rehabilitation. The two treatments will be compared in terms of costs of treatment and convened health benefits (child nutritional status and development, cured rate and relapse, maternal mental health, and family care practices) at both short and long-term periods after admission. The proposed complementary psychosocial intervention focuses directly on the key underlying determinants of acute malnutrition within children's early years, such as child care practices and stimulation, parent-child relationships and maternal mental health. It includes the mother/caregiver as patient of psychosocial support, but also empowers her as the key ally in the treatment of the undernourished child. Adding a brief psychosocial component to the standard medico-nutritional treatment is expected to pay off in terms of sustainable recovery, health, and development outcomes of children.

Enrollment

427 patients

Sex

All

Ages

6 to 23 months old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Age: 6-23 months
2 sexes
Diagnosis: uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition requiring follow-up outpatient therapeutic feeding unit (OTPs), supported by Action Contre la Faim in Saptari district
Weight-for-height (WH) <-3 Standard Deviation compared to the WHO reference and/or MUAC <115 mm
And / or nutritional oedema moderate (+ or + +)
And successful test of appetite
And no medical complications
New cases
Presence of mother / father or legal guardian aged > 18 years.
Understanding of the consent and information letter
Follow-up possible

Exclusion criteria

Age <6 months or> 24 months
Moderate Acute Malnutrition
Severe Acute Malnutrition complicated
Weight for height <-3 Standard Deviation compared to the WHO reference and / or MUAC <115mm but failure to test appetite OR medical complications OR severe oedema + + + OR kwashiorkor, marasmus (malnutrition with the same criteria, with oedema mild or severe).
Relapse or if already registered in the past two months;
Any child with developmental anomalies, known chronic illnesses like epilepsy, twins and multiple births, parents not consenting,