Calorie requirements for growth after severe undernutrition.

Abstract

The weight gains of 34 children with severe wasting were studied during the 1st 2 months of treatment on diets providing calorie intakes of 100-250/kg day and protein intakes of 4-8 g/kg day. The calorie intakes per g gain were found to be the same as those of normal children growing over the same weight range, unless the children were suffering from diarrhea, infections or other interfering pathologies. There was a roughly linear relation between weight gain and calorie intake, but there were more failures to gain weight satisfactorily on the diet providing less than 150 calories/kg day. Raising the protein intakes above 4 g/kg day was not beneficial.