Optimal weight gain in recovering children treated for severe acute malnutrition

Abstract

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) remains a major public health problem. Prudent estimates suggest that it is associated with several hundred thousands of deaths per year globally (Black et al., 2013). Major progress has been made in recent years for its treatment and currently the focus is moving beyond simply improving survival of children with SAM, but also to ensuring that treated children remain in good health throughout their life. The contribution of Thompson et al. in this issue of World Nutrition highlighting the association between rapid weight gain during nutritional rehabilitation of SAM children and fat infiltration of the liver later in life is welcome in this regard.