Nutritional impact of whole milk supplemented with vitamins and minerals in children]
Maulen-Radovan, I.; Villagómez, S.; Soler, E.; Villicaña, R.; Hernández-Ronquillo, L.; Rosado, J.L.
Salud Publica de Mexico 41(5): 389-396
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-3634 PMID: 11142834 Document Number: 504271
To evaluate the nutritional impact of the ingestion of a fortified whole milk in children. Prospective, longitudinal assay in 227 children aged 8-60 months. Daily consumption of 500 ml of fortified milk during 90 days. We registered milk acceptance and assessed weight, height; hemoglobin, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid, at the beginning and the end of the study. Statistical evaluation were done with central and dispersion indices in the dimensional variables, using Student's t test and chi 2 test for compare nominal variables at initial and the end of the study. At admission, 45 children were malnourished and 36 were anemic. At the end of the supplementation period there was a reduction to 35 malnourished (p < 0.21) and 18 anemic (p < 0.01). Anthropometric weight/height score in Z at the beginning and end of the study (x +/- S.D) were -0.35 +/- 0.88 vs -0.14 +/- 9 (p < 0.01); Hb g/dl: 11 +/- 1.3 vs 11.9 +/- 1.9 (p < 0.001), Iron mg/dl: 108 +/- 44 vs 115 +/- 31 (p = 0.06) and vitamin B12 pg/ml: 649 +/- 494 to 1053 +/- 854 (p < 0.001). The milk was well tolerated and widely accepted. The consumption of a fortified whole milk during 90 days improved significantly the nutritional status of the children, the weight for height Z score, the plasma level of vitamin B12 and Hb, and decreased the number of anemic and malnourished children.