DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sajp.2026.v15i07.002

Pages: 166-171

Objective: To evaluate the comparative efficacy of commercially produced Specialized Food Products (SFPs), particularly Plumpy’Nut, and Local Specialized Food Products known as PASloc, (PREMIX made from millet and corn) in the nutritional rehabilitation of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) without complications, who are being treated at the Treichville University Hospital (TUH) in Abidjan. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over two months among 126 children aged 0 to 59 months admitted to the Outpatient Therapeutic Nutrition Unit (OTNU). Anthropometric parameters (WHO Z-scores for weight-for-height) were measured at admission and during weekly follow-up. Children with SAM received either Plumpy’Nut or PASloc PREMIX. Recovery rates were compared according to WHO standards. Results: The overall prevalence of acute malnutrition was 54%, including 17.5% with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 36.5% with moderate malnutrition. Boys were more affected (59.1%) than girls (40.9%). The protein content of PASloc was comparable to that of Plumpy’Nut, but the fat, vitamin, and mineral content was lower. The nutritional recovery rate was 61.54% with Plumpy’Nut compared to 38.46% with PASloc. No deaths were recorded, but ten cases of dropouts were observed. Conclusion: Severe acute malnutrition remains a critical problem in Côte d’Ivoire, with a hospital prevalence rate well above the WHO threshold. Commercial therapeutic food products, enriched with micronutrients, ensure more effective rehabilitation than locally produced formulations. However, optimizing locally produced therapeutic foods through vitamin and mineral supplementation could make them a sustainable alternative in the event of stock shortages or economic constraints.