Abstract
Objective
To assess hematological parameters of malnourished children after nutritional intervention with cashew nut flour.
Methods
This is a randomized, controlled, blind trial. The study was conducted from April to December 2017, in two Basic Health Units. The sample consisted of children under 5 years of age who met the inclusion criteria, 15 in the Intervention Group (cashew nut flour) and 15 children in the Control Group (carboxymethylcellulose flour), randomly allocated to the groups. The parameters of erythrocytes, hemoglobin and hematocrit (red blood cells) and leukocytes, neutrophils, segmented, eosinophils, monocytes and lymphocytes (white blood cells) parameters were analyzed. Blood collection was performed in two moments: the first before intervention implementation and the second after 32 weeks of use of cashew nut flour. To assess the sample normality and homogeneity, Shapiro-Wilk and Bartlett variance tests were used, respectively. The paired t-test was used within each group and, to assess possible associations between the Intervention and Control Groups and the level of leukocytes (below, normal and above), Fisher’s Exact test and/or Fisher-Freeman-Halton test were used.
Results
There was an increase in the mean of the individual red blood cell count, especially in the hemoglobin patterns of malnourished children in the Intervention Group (p<0.05). The investigation also showed an intragroup difference in the hemoglobin parameter, both in the Control Group (p=0.007) and in the Intervention (p<0.001) as well as in the hematocrit parameter for both groups (p=0.001). Specifically in the white blood cells, after intervention, there was a significant decrease in leukocytes (p=0.04) and lymphocytes (p<0.01)
Conclusion
After intervention, the use of cashew nut flour improved the hematological parameters of malnourished children. Brazilian Clinical Trial Registry (REBEC): U1111.1213.9219
Child nutrition disorders; Blood cell count; Infant nutritional physiological phenomena; Nutritional status; Child
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