Malnutrition Enteropathy

Thirty-four (34) children with SAM (WLZ < -3, or mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) < 11.5 cm, or presence of oedema) hospitalised in the University Teaching Hospital and undergoing standard nutritional rehabilitation (i.e., milk-based feeds F75 and F100) were enrolled in the Malnutrition Enteropathy study. Endoscopy was carried out on children with SAM with persistent diarrhoea of unknown aetiology (stool parasitology and culture negative) following signed informed caregiver consent. The children were evaluated on the day of endoscopy by an experienced paediatrician to confirm fitness for endoscopy and then fasted from 6 a.m. after a feed of F100, until 10 a.m., the time of the endoscopy. Duodenal aspirates were collected from 24 children for 16s rRNA sequencing