A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Low-Cost Dietary Supplementation among Malnourished Children in the Age Group Between 1-5 Years, at Pilkhuwa, Hapur

Malnutrition remains a major public health concern among under-five children in India. This experimental study evaluated the impact of a locally formulated, low-cost dietary supplement on the nutritional status of 60 malnourished children aged 1–5 years in Pilkhuwa, Hapur. Participants were randomly allocated to an experimental group (n=30), which received daily supplementation for 21 days, or a control group (n=30) with no supplement. Anthropometric and clinical assessments were performed at baseline and after intervention. The experimental group showed a significant improvement in nutritional status (mean pre-score 77.80±4.81 vs post-score 83.76±4.87, p<0.01), whereas the control group did not improve significantly (mean 77.80±5.11 vs 78.20±5.15, p>0.05). Post-intervention nutritional status was significantly higher in the experimental group than in controls (p<0.01). Significant gains were also observed in weight, BMI, mid-arm circumference, and skin-fold thickness in the experimental group (all p<0.01), but not in the control group. No demographic factors were significantly associated with nutritional outcomes. The findings suggest that this affordable dietary supplement effectively enhances short-term nutritional recovery among malnourished children. Integrating such interventions into community health programs could help address child malnutrition.