Abstract

DE CABALLERO, Eira; SINISTERRA, Odalis; LAGRUTTA, Francisco  and  ATALAH S, Eduardo. Assessment of the nutritional impact of the complementary feeding program of Panama in children under five years old.. ALAN [online]. 2004, vol.54, n.1, pp.66-71. ISSN 0004-0622.

SUMMARY.  To evaluate the nutritional impact of the Complementary Feeding Program of Panama in children under 5 years old. A retrospective cohort of children beneficiaries of the program was studied and compared with others of the same age and districts not involved in this intervention. Weight for age (W-A), height for age (H-A), and weight for height (W-H) was calculated in each control and the nutritional status determined according to Ministry of Health norms. Every beneficiary received six pounds/month of a food supplement containing cereals, legumes, calcium, iron and vitamin A (350 Kcal and 12 g of protein by 100 grams). Most of the children enter into the program in their second year of life with an average W-A and W-H of -1.5 ± 1.2 and -0.6 ± 0.9 respectively; both indicators were declining before the intervention (-0.6 ± 1.2 y -0.3 ± 1.3 respectively, p < 0.01). In 9 months of intervention an average change in W-A of 0.0 ± 1.1 and H-A of - 0.1 ± 1.1 was observed (NS). Weight gain was higher in children with lower W-A, in families with less children or mother with better education level (p < 0.05). In 35% of malnourished children and 24% of children at risk nutritional status improved during the intervention. Children with higher nutritional deficit at the beginning of the program have significantly better nutritional improvement (p < 0.001), encouraging the importance on focusing this program in malnourished children.

Keywords : Complementary feeding program; malnutrition; children; weight for age; weight gain; intervention.