Therapeutic feeding regimens for inpatient treatment of moderate acute malnutrition in children 6 to 59 months old

MAM: moderate acute malnutrition; RUTF: ready-to-use therapeutic food; RUSF: ready-to-use supplementary food; F-75: therapeutic cow milk-based formula providing 75 kcal/100 mL, designed by the World Health Organization (WHO); F-100: therapeutic cow milk-based formula providing 100 kcal/100 mL, designed by the WHO; MUAC: mid-upper arm circumference; WHZ: weight-for-height Z-score.
* MAM in children 6 through 59 months of age is defined by anthropometric criteria using MUAC of 11.5 to 12.4 cm, or WHZ of –2 to –3, without pitting edema. MAM is complicated if it is associated with significant diarrhea, sepsis, focal infection, or other underlying illness causing anorexia. These children should be managed as inpatients, where the associated condition can be addressed urgently, followed by nutritional rehabilitation once the child's condition has stabilized, as outlined above.
¶ For the appetite test, the child is offered supplementary food (RUTF, RUSF, or fortified blended flour) in a calm setting; the child passes the test if he or she consumes approximately 30 grams of supplementary food without vomiting or significant distress.
Δ Goal for supplementary feeds (RUTF, RUSF, or fortified blended flour) is 50 to 100 kcal/kg/day (or 500 kcal/day for simpler non-weight-based dosing).