An experience of facility-based management of severe acute malnutrition in children aged between 6-59 months adopting the World Health Organization recommendations.

Abstract

To study the output indicators of a nutritional rehabilitation center to assess its performance. Data of 182 children aged between 6-59 months with severe acute malnutrition in a nutritional rehabilitation center were analyzed retrospectively. Identification and treatment of severe acute malnutrition was done according to World Health Organization recommendations. The recovery rate, death rate, defaulter rate, mean (SD) weight gain and mean (SD) duration of stay in the nutritional rehabilitation center were 68%, 2.2%, 4.4%, 13.0 (9.0) g/kg/d, 12.7 (6.8) days, respectively. Nutritional rehabilitation centers are effective in management of severe malnutrition.