Management of malnourished children with acute diarrhoea and sugar intolerance

A protocol of nutritional rehabilitation using fermented milk, vegetable oil, and castor sugar has been tested on 54 Senegalese children age 6-36 months admitted with acute diarrhoea and malnutrition. At time of admission, 39 per cent of children were dehydrated and 26 per cent had sugar intolerance. In the course of treatment three absconded and one died from acute pneumonia with respiratory and heart failure. Among those with marasmus there were no differences in mean weight gains between children with sugar intolerance and others, despite a longer duration of diarrhoea in the first group. Furthermore, the treatment protocol has never been compromised because of worsening diarrhoea or weight loss. These results indicate that a formula based on fermented milk together with oral rehydration can be used to treat malnourished children with acute diarrhoea and sugar intolerance.