Chen R.Y. et al mentioned that more than 30 million children globally suffer from moderate acute malnutrition. Limited effectiveness and unknown pathogenesis remain the prime challenges of the current treatments for this condition. Perturbed development of gut microbiota has been seen in children with moderate acute malnutrition.

The researchers carried out a study by supplying a microbiota-directed complimentary food prototype (MDCF-2) or a ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) to 123 children with moderate acute malnutrition aged between 12 months and 18 months, which was given twice daily for 3 months, followed by 1 month of monitoring. They tracked weight-for-length, weight-for-age, and length-for-age z scores and mid–upper-arm circumference values at baseline and every 2 weeks during the intervention period and at 4 months, and then compared these phenotypes between baseline v/s 3 months and between baseline v/s 4 months. Levels of 4977 proteins in plasma and 209 bacterial taxa in fecal samples were also measured.

They found that-

The rates of change in the weight-for-length and weight-for-age z scores were consistent with a benefit of MDCF-2 on growth throughout the study, including the 1-month follow-up. They linked MDCF-2 administration to alteration in levels of 70 plasma proteins and of 21 associated bacterial taxa that were positively correlated with the weight-for-length z score. Those proteins contained mediators of bone growth and neurodevelopment.

They concluded by saying that MDCF-2 is a good dietary supplement for young children with moderate acute malnutrition and provides insight into mechanisms by which this targeted manipulation of microbiota components may be linked to growth.

Source: New England Journal of Medicine, 2021;348(16): 1517-1528. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2023294