The effect of supplementary processed protein foods fortified with essential vitamins and minerals on the growth and nutritional status of undernourished weaned infants

Abstract

A feeding experiment extending over a period of nine months was conducted on fifty-four weaned infants ranging in age from nine to twenty months to assess the value of supplementing their diets with a balanced malt food (composed ofjowar malt, low fat groundnut flour, Bengal gram flour and skim-milk powder) and protein food of low cost (based on low fat groundnut flour, Bengal gram flour and skim-milk powder) fortified with certain vitamins and calcium phosphate. On the basis of the initial height, weight, haemoglobin content of blood and nutritional status, the infants were allotted into three groups so that each group consisted of ten girls and eight boys. The values for the weight, height, nutritional status and haemoglobin content of blood were obtained at the beginning and end of the experiment for the experimental and control groups. The increases in the height, weight and haemoglobin level of the infants receiving the malt food and protein food of low cost respectively were significantly greater than those observed in infants in the control group receiving a supplement of rice. Eighty per cent of the infants in the two experimental groups improved in their nutritional status, whereas none in the control group showed improvement. On the other hand, three children in the control group showed deterioration in the nutritional status.