Provision of 10-40 g/d Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements from 6 to 18 Months of Age Does Not Prevent Linear Growth Faltering in Malawi.

What this study found

LNS supplementation did not improve linear growth or prevent stunting from 6 to 18 months of age. The primary comparison for milk-containing versus milk-free LNS showed no meaningful effect on LAZ change, with a difference of -0.02 (95% CI -0.10 to 0.06; P=0.72). There were also no significant intergroup differences in length change or LAZ change during supplementation (P=0.66 for length; P=0.74 for LAZ). The authors concluded that milk-free LNS was not superior to milk-containing LNS and that none of the LNS regimens promoted length gain.

Study & population

Community-based randomized trial in healthy infants starting at about 6 months of age in Malawi.

Intervention

Five lipid-based nutrient supplement regimens were given daily from 6 to 18 months of age: 10 g/d, 20 g/d, or 40 g/d milk-containing LNS, plus 20 g/d or 40 g/d milk-free LNS based on maltodextrin.

Key limitation

The trial was conducted in a specific rural Malawi infant population, which limits generalizability.

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