properly covered with a blanket. The state of shock should be treated with intravenous injection of glucose –saline or blood transfusion. ) Anaemia: Severe anaemia is dangerous, as it can result in heart failure. If the haemoglobin falls below 5g/dl, blood transfusion should be given.
B. Dietary management Although treatment of complications can reduce mortality, proper dietary management is important for complete recovery. The child should be given a diet providing sufficient quantities of calories and protein, in gradually increasing amounts, without provoking vomiting or diarrhoea. It is best to begin with liquid formula, as it is easy to feed and measure the intake.
Initially the child may refuse the feeds due to lack of appetite. As the appetite improves and child starts taking food by mouth, solid supplements can be introduced. The diet should be given frequently and in small amounts. High energy intakes (150Kcal/kg) and high protein intakes ( -4g/kg) are required for rapid recovery.
Most hospitals use milk-based formulas for feeding - - Proteins and lipids should be given to correct anaemia along with multivitamin preparation. With this treatment, clinical improvement is seen within a week. The child becomes alert and the appetite improves; Oedema disappears in about - days. During this period, there may be some weight loss, but thereafter, the child starts gaining weight .
After the child is discharged form the hospital, he should be followed up in the out-patient clinic or at home till he reaches normal weight for height. Low cost recipes for children recovering from PEM ) Ragi, green gram, jaggery - puttu ) Ragi, Bengal gram, wheat - puttu ) Wheat rava, green gram dhal, vegetable - upma ) Rice, green gram dhal - pongal / khichdi ) Rice, bengalgram - porridge LIPIDS The term ‘Lipids’ is applied to a group of naturally occurring substances characterized by their insolubility in water, greasy feel and solubility in organic solvents. They occur in the plant and animal kingdom. Fats are a more concentrated form of storage of energy than carbohydrates.
In the presence of adequate supply of carbohydrates, fat