Effects of psychosocial stimulation on growth and development of severely malnourished children in a nutrition unit in Bangladesh

Background/objectives Young children with severe malnutrition usually have poor mental development. Psychosocial stimulation may reduce their cognitive deficit, but it is not usually provided. The aim of the study was to incorporate stimulation into the routine treatment of severely malnourished children in a nutrition unit and evaluate the impact on their growth and development. Design Time-lagged controlled study. Setting Nutritional Rehabilitation Unit (NRU) in ICDDR,B Dhaka Hospital. Methods Severely malnourished children, aged 6-24 months, admitted to the NRU were enrolled. All received standard nutritional care. A control group of 43 children was studied initially, followed by an intervention group of 54 children. The intervened mothers and children participated in daily group meetings and individual play sessions for 2 weeks in…