Antibiotics Reduce Mortality in Children with Severe Malnutrition

Adding antibiotics to sound nutritional therapy improves nutritional outcomes and survival.

Despite aggressive nutritional therapy, severe malnutrition continues to be a major cause of global childhood mortality. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, researchers examined nutritional outcomes and survival in 2767 severely malnourished Malawian children (age range, 6–59 months) who received aggressive nutritional support plus two daily doses of ampicillin (80–90 mg/kg), cefdinir (14 mg/kg), or placebo for 7 days.

A higher proportion of children who received either antibiotic experienced nutritional recovery than in the placebo group (90% vs. 85%). Nutritional recovery was slowest in children with marasmic kwashiorkor and fastest in children who received cefdinir. Mortality was significantly higher in the placebo gr…

Reviewing Author

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

Antibiotics Reduce Mortality in Children with Severe Malnutrition

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Reviewing Author