American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 23, 707-715, Copyright © 1970 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Diet Supplementation for Entire Communities

Growth and Mortality of Infants and Children

¹ From the Grace Department of Research, British American Hospital, Apartado 2713, Lima, Peru

Two populations with high infant and preschool child mortalities and poor growth in early life were given additional food, equivalent to 250 kcal/person per day for over 5 years. One received 7.5 g/day of wheat protein and the other 12.5 g of equal amounts of wheat and fish proteins.

There was an impressive (more than 60%) decline in the infant and preschool mortalities of both study populations. Although there was measurable improvement in the growth of children, an equally favorable trend was apparent in two similar control populations, but without a significant decline in infant mortality and only a modest decline in that of preschool children.

The difficulties encountered in field trials and the necessity for adequate control populations are brought out by these results. Unless near-famine conditions prevail, food supplements are most likely to displace other foods, hopefully of lesser biological value. With this in mind, they should be as complete as possible. Total effective calorie intake is not easily increased.