WHO guideline on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema (acute malnutrition) in infants and children under 5 years
Overview
This guideline provides global, normative, evidence-informed recommendations and good practice statements on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema (acute malnutrition) in children under 5 years of age. The guideline supersedes the 2013 WHO Guideline: updates on the management of severe acute malnutrition in infants and children.
The recommendations in this guideline are intended for a wide audience, including policymakers, expert advisers, and technical and programme staff involved in the design, implementation and scaling up of programmes for the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema.
Operational guidance is being developed for policymakers, health workers and programme managers on how to implement these recommendations and good practice statements.
The guideline is also published in digital format on MAGICapp here.
Web annexes
- A: guideline questions and outcomes
- B: systematic review references
- C: GRADE evidence profiles
- D: filtered prognostic factors in infants at risk of poor growth and development
- E: filtered prognostic factors in infants and children with severe wasting and/or nutritional oedema
- F: optimal quantity of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) for the treatment of severe wasting and/or nutritional oedema
- G: filtered prognostic factors in infants and children with moderate wasting
- H: optimal dietary management for moderate wasting: quantity and duration
- I: post-exit interventions after recovery from wasting and/or nutritional oedema: questions or interventions for which the GDG did not make a recommendation
- J: prevention of wasting and nutritional oedema: questions or interventions for which the GDG did not make a recommendation
