Re-feeding syndrome in children treated for severe acute malnutrition

Objective: To determine the prevalence of re-feeding syndrome in children treated for severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Methodology: This cross-sectional study was performed at Department of Pediatrics, King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, Mansehra, Pakistan from October 2020 to April 2021. A total of 186 children of either gender aged 1-5 years and admitted with SAM were included. Children with SAM were given F75-proxy every two hours for 2 days and then were fed with a locally made formula aimed to replace F-100 (F100-proxy), 6 times a day for a further duration of 2 days. After completing three days at the hospital, blood was drawn for measurements of blood and serum levels of phosphate, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Results: In a total of 186 children with SAM, the mean age was 3±1.21 years while 100 (53.8%) children were aged between 1-3 years. There were 146 (78.5%) boys and 40 (21.5%) girls representing a male to female ratio of 3.5:1. Re-feeding syndrome was noted among 25 (13.4%) children. Conclusion: Children with SAM were found to have high prevalence of re-feeding syndrome. Early recognition with appropriate treatment can be the key to a successful outcome in these children.