Effectiveness of three commonly used transition phase diets in the inpatient management of children with severe acute malnutrition: A pilot randomized controlled trial in Malawi

The case fatality rate of severely malnourished children during inpatient treatment is high and mortality is often associated with diarrhea. As intestinal carbohydrate absorption is impaired in severe acute malnutrition (SAM), differences in dietary formulations during nutritional rehabilitation could lead to the development of osmotic diarrhea and subsequently hypovolemia and death.