Effectiveness of home-based “egg-suji” diet in management of severe acute malnutrition of Rohingya refugee children

Abstract

Background

Prevalence of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among Rohingya children aged 6–59 months who took shelter in refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh, was found to be 7.5%.

Objective

To measure the effectiveness of homemade diet in the management of severe acute malnutrition of Rohingya refugee children.

Methods

In total, 645 SAM children (MUAC < 11.5 cm) aged 6–59 months were selected and fed the homemade diet for 3 months by their caregivers and followed up for next 2 months. Nutrition counseling, demonstration of food preparation and the ingredients of food (rice powder, egg, sugar and oil) were provided to the families for 3 months to cook “egg-suji” diet to feed the children.

Results

The study children were assessed for nutritional status. After intervention, energy intake from diet increased from 455.29 ± 120.9 kcal/day to 609.61 ± 29.5 kcal/day (P = 0.001) in 3 months. Frequency of daily food intake improved from 4.89 ± 1.02 to 5.94 ± 0.26 (P = 0.001). The body weight of children increased from 6.3 ± 1.04 kg to 9.93 ± 1.35 kg (P = 0.001), height increased from 67.93 ± 6.18 cm to 73.86 ± 0.35 (P = 0.001) cm, and MUAC improved from 11.14 ± 1.35 cm to 12.89 ± 0.37 cm (P = 0.001). HAZ improved from − 3.64 ± 1.35 to − 2.82 ± 1.40 (P = 0.001), WHZ improved from − 2.45 ± 1.23 to 1.03 ± 1.17 (P = 0.001), WAZ improved from − 3.8 ± 0.61 to − 0.69 ± 0.78, and MUACZ improved from − 3.32 ± 0.49 to 1.8 ± 0.54 (P = 0.001) from the beginning to the end of observation. Morbidity was found in 5.12% children in the first month which reduced to 0.15% at the end of follow-up.

Conclusions

Nutritional counseling and supply of food ingredients at refugee camps resulted in complete recovery from severe malnutrition for all children which was sustainable.