The recovery of Guatemalan children with mild to moderate wasting: factors enhancing the impact of supplementary feeding.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify factors that enhance the recovery due to supplementary feeding in wasted children. METHODS: Recovery rates were obtained in mild to moderately wasted 6- to 48-month-old rural Guatemalan children living in four villages. Children in two villages received a high protein-energy supplement (supplemented children), while children in the other villages received a low protein-energy supplement (nonsupplemented children). The difference in recovery rates between the groups was the attributable benefit. The net supplementation amounted to 11% of the recommended energy intake and its associated nutrients. RESULTS: Attributable supplement benefits were achieved in younger children (6 to 24 months old) and increased with decreasing weight for length, longer duration of supplementation, and duration of diarrhea, but not with chronicity of wasting. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation's effectiveness can be improved in similar populations by programs targeted according to these findings.