Effect of Renutrition on Natural and Cell‐Mediated Immune Response in Infants With Severe Malnutrition

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a 4‐week nutritional recovery period with a starting infant formula and 3.35 kJ/mL energy density would favorably affect the natural and cell‐mediated immune response in infants with severe and primary protein‐energy malnutrition.MethodologyThe study included 12 severely malnourished infants, 3 to 18 months of age. For 2 weeks, infants were fed a starting infant formula, with energy density increased to 0.8 kcal/mL, through a nasogastric tube. Infants were fed “ad libitum” for 2 more weeks. On the fifth day, 837 kJ/kg and 4 g/kg protein were given daily. At the beginning and at the end of the 4‐week period, weight, length, phagocytosis, microbicidal activity, chemotaxis, and cell proliferation indices were measured. Null hypothesis was rejected with a paired t test and a P value less than 0.05.ResultsAfter the 4‐week period of nutritional recovery, the weight and length indicators and the four immunologic assays showed significant increase (P < 0.005).ConclusionThe study demonstrated that a 4‐week nutritional recovery period with a starting infant formula and 0.8 kcal/mL energy density favorably affected the natural and cell‐mediated immune response in infants with severe protein‐energy malnutrition.