Lysine Fortification of Wheat Bread Fed to Haitian School Children

Abstract

The response of rural Haitian school children to lysine supplementation of enriched wheat flour was studied over a complete school year. A general trend toward increased stature, weight, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and skinfold thickness was evident. At the level of supplementation used, a statistically significant increase in skinfold thickness was obtained at the end of the study in children in two of the three age groups receiving bread and lysine. In comparing the children receiving lysine supplements with both the control children and those receiving unsupplemented bread, it was found that of the eight sex-age groups the children in one group (girls, ages nine to twelve) showed a statistically significant increase in height after two months, and in two groups (boys, ages nine to twelve; and girls, ages thirteen to fourteen) after four months. Significant weight responses were found in children in six groups after two months and in one group after four months. Comparing those receiving lysine supplemented bread with those receiving unsupplemented bread significant improvement appeared in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration in the children in three of the eight groups at the end of the school year. When comparison is made with the control group a significant increase is demonstrated in the children in two of the eight groups.