Does treatment for severe malnutrition make children who are short for their age overweight?

Does treatment for severe acute malnutrition for children aged 6-59 months, identified by Mid-Upper Arm Circumference and that are less than 65 cm or have low height for age and treated with Ready to Use Therapeutic Food cause the child to become overweight or obese following cure?

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN92405176

Enrollment

258

Registered

2018-05-15

Start date

2011-03-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2019-01-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Overweight following treatment for severe acute malnutrition Nutritional, Metabolic, Endocrine Hyperalimentation

Interventions

Children aged 6 to 59 months were enrolled in outpatient treatment for SAM if they had a MUAC less than 115 mm without medical complications irrespective of height on admission. 163 children were disc

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Aged 6 - 59 months 2. Mid upper arm circumference <11.5cm 3. Good appetite for ready-to-use therapeutic food 4. No medical complications requiring transfer to hospital 5. Consent from carer to participate

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Aged 59 months 2. MUAC >11.5cm 3. Anorexia 4. Any medical complication requiring transfer to hospital 5. Refusal of consent

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Weight for height z-score on discharge	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Triceps skin fold for age z-score on discharge 2. Arm fat index for age z-score on discharge 3. Weight for age z score on discharge	—

Countries

Malawi

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026