Effects of bovine serum concentrate, with or without supplemental micronutrients, on the growth, morbidity, and micronutrient status of young children in a low-income, peri-urban Guatemalan community

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition 2008-01, Vol.62 (1), p.39-50
• Main Authors: Begin, F, Santizo, M.C, Peerson, J.M, Torun, B, Brown, K.H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anemia - drug therapy; Anemia - epidemiology; Anemia - mortality; Biological and medical sciences; bovine serum albumin; Child Development - drug effects; Children & youth; Clinical Nutrition; Complications and side effects; Corn; Deficiency Diseases - drug therapy; Deficiency Diseases - epidemiology; Deficiency Diseases - mortality; Diet therapy; dietary mineral supplements; Dietary minerals; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Epidemiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Growth - drug effects; Growth disorders; Growth Disorders - epidemiology; Growth Disorders - mortality; Growth Disorders - prevention & control; growth retardation; Guatemala; Health aspects; Human growth; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Income; Infant; Infant Food; infant growth; infant nutrition; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; infants; Internal Medicine; low income households; Male; Malnutrition in children; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Micronutrients; Micronutrients - administration & dosage; Micronutrients - pharmacology; Milk Proteins; Morbidity; Nutrient deficiency; nutrient reserves; Nutrition; nutrition assessment; Nutritional aspects; Nutritional Status; Obesity; original-article; Prevalence; Public Health; Serum; Serum Albumin, Bovine - administration & dosage; Serum Albumin, Bovine - pharmacology; Socioeconomic Factors; Treatment Outcome; urban areas; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; vitamin supplements; Vitamins; whey protein; Whey Proteins
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602682

Objective: To determine the effects of dietary supplements containing bovine serum concentrate (BSC, a source of immunoglobulins) and/or multiple micronutrients (MMN) on children's growth velocity, rates of common infections, and MN status. Design: Randomized, controlled, community-based intervention trial. Setting: Low-income, peri-urban Guatemalan community. Subjects: Children aged 6-7 months initially. Interventions: Children received one of four maize-based dietary supplements daily for 8 months, containing: (1) BSC, (2) whey protein concentrate (WPC, control group), (3) WPC+MMN, or (4) BSC+MMN. Results: There were no significant differences in growth or rates of morbidity by treatment group. Children who received MMN had lower rates of anemia and (in the group that received WPC+MMN) less of a decline in serum ferritin than those who did not, but there were no differences in other biochemical indicators of MN status by treatment group. Conclusions: MMN supplementation reduced anemia and iron deficiency in this population, but the MMN content and source of protein in the supplements did not affect other indicators of MN status, growth or morbidity.