The effect of a micronutrient-fortified complementary food on micronutrient status, growth and development of 6- to 12-month-old disadvantaged urban South African XXXX .

@entity1 @entity219 @entity904 @entity1017 @entity68
The study was conducted to look at the effectiveness of a multimicronutrient-fortified complementary food on the micronutrient status, linear growth and psychomotor development of 6- to 12-month-old @entity1 from a black urban disadvantaged community in the Western Cape, South Africa. The study was designed as an intervention study. In both the experimental and control groups, serum @entity904 concentration showed a decline over the intervention period of 6 months. The decline was less pronounced in the experimental group. This resulted in a significantly (P<005) higher serum @entity904 concentration at 12 months in the experimental group (26.8+/-5.8 microg/dl) compared with the control group (21.4+/-5 microg/dl). Serum @entity68 concentration also declined over the intervention period. The decline was less pronounced in the experimental group. No difference was observed in haemoglobin levels between the groups at 12 months. Serum @entity219 concentration did not differ significantly between the two groups at follow up. @entity1017 over the 6 months period did not differ significantly between the experimental (2.1+/-0.9 kg) and control groups (2.1+/-1.2 kg). There was no difference in linear growth between the experimental (10.0+/-1.5 cm) and control group (10.1+/-2.1 cm) at the end of the follow-up period. Weight and length at 6 months significantly predicted weight and length at 12 months. No difference was observed in psychomotor developmental scores between the two groups after 6 months of intervention. Introducing a multimicronutrient-fortified complementary food into the diet of 6- to 12-month-old @entity1 seemed to have an arresting effect on declining serum @entity904 and @entity68 concentration in the experimental group. No benefit was observed in serum @entity219 concentration, linear growth and psychomotor development.
