Caring for Severely Malnourished Children

By Darryl Cowley and Professor David Morley (Teaching-aids At Low Cost)

This book describes how to manage severely malnourished children in hospitals and other health units with inpatient facilities. Based on the WHO manual for physicians and other senior health workers on the management of severe malnutrition, and the WHO-IMCI guidelines on the management of the child with a serious infection or severe malnutrition, it describes ten treatment steps and why each is important. It also highlights the supportive role that mothers and other carers should play and suggests ways to involve them in providing care.

The book was written at the suggestion of African health workers who wanted something simple, practical and easy to read. In the view of the WHO departments of Nutrition for Health and Development and Child and Adolescent Health and Development, Ashworth and Burgess have faithfully translated the original two sets of WHO science-based operational guidelines.

The book has nevertheless come in for some criticism by Prof. Mike Golden. As a result, the authors, TALC and the publisher together agreed to have the book reviewed by respected independent experts in the field of management of severe malnutrition in children.

¹Ashworth A, Burgess A (2003). Caring for Severely Malnourished Children. Available from Macmillan Education and TALC. The book is also available on CD Rom. Sponsored by TALC (Teaching-aids At Low Cost) and the Academy for Education and Development.