Table 1. Summary of current recommendations for antimicrobial and micronutrient supplementation amongst LBW/VLBW infants and children with SAM (WHO) (World Health Organization, 2013a; World Health Organization, 2011).
| Intervention | VLBW/LBW infants | Children (aged 6–59 months) with SAM |
|---|---|---|
| Antibiotics | – | Yes |
| Deworming | – | Antihelminthics during rehabilitation phase if high prevalence region or evidence of infestation |
| Vitamin A | Not recommended | 5,000 IU daily High dose regimen (50,000–200,000 IU) if eye signs or recent measles |
| Vitamin D | 400–1000 IU/day until 6 months of age* | No recommendation Therapeutic feeds provide 135-300 IU/kg/day** |
| Folic Acid | – | 5 mg day 1, 1mg daily thereafter+ |
| Iron | 2–4 mg/kg/day from 2 weeks to 6 months of age* | 3 mg/kg after 2 days on F-100 formula. (Not if receiving RUTF) |
| Zinc | Not recommended | 2 mg/kg/day+ |
| Copper | – | 0.3 mg/kg/day+ |
| Calcium | 120–140 mg/kg/day if breastmilk fed* | No recommendation Therapeutic feeds provide:100 mg/kg/day** |
| Phosphorous | 60–90 mg/kg/day day if breastmilk fed* | No recommendation Therapeutic feeds provide: 100 mg/kg/day** |
Notes.
- VLBW
- very low birth weight
- SAM
- severe acute malnutrition
*
Recommendation specifically for VLBW infants only.
**
Range based upon composition of commercial F − 75∕F − 100 at 130 ml/kg/day volumes.
+
If not on therapeutic milk (e.g., F75/F100) or ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF).