Effect of Multivitamin-Mineral Supplements Is Transient in Preschool Children With Low Appetite and Growth Failure

Abstract

Objective: Micronutrient deficiencies are contributing factors to growth failure and loss of appetite. This study investigated the effect of multivitamin-mineral supplements on appetite and growth of preschool children with poor appetite and growth failure. Methods: The study was placebo-controlled, with 63 children (29 boys and 34 girls), 3 to 7 years old, with low appetite and impaired growth. Children were randomized to receive multivitamin-mineral syrup plus folic acid (supplement group) or placebo. The intervention was continued for 2 months, but children were followed 1 month postintervention. The following parameters were investigated: weight, weight for age Z-score (WAZ), midarm circumference (MAC), and appetite. Findings: During intervention both groups demonstrated increases in weight, WAZ, MAC, and appetite, but the improvements in WAZ and MAC were not statistically significant in the placebo group. With the exception of weight, other improvements in the supplement group were not significantly different from those in the placebo group. One month postintervention, MAC and appetite decreased in both groups (P < .05), but weight and WAZ did not significantly change. Comparing the final data with the baseline showed that, compared with the placebo, supplementation did not make a significant difference in any of the parameters. Conclusion: Multivitamin-mineral supplements may have only transient beneficial effects on the weight of preschool children with poor appetite and impaired growth.