Effectiveness of a supplementary feeding program in child weight gain.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of a governmental supplementary feeding program in child weight gain. METHODS A cohort study including secondary data on 25,433 low-income children aged between six and 24 months, participating in a fortified milk distribution program known as Projeto Vivaleite, was performed in the state of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between 2003 and 2008. Weight gain was measured using weight-for-age z-score values, calculated according to the World Health Organization standards (2007). These values were obtained in the program routine, when a child started it and every four months during their stay. Children were divided into three z-score groups when starting the program: weight gain not compromised (z>-1); risk of low weight (-2< or =z <-1); and low weight (z<-2). Multilevel linear regression (mixed model) was used, enabling the comparison, at each age, of adjusted mean z-scores between children starting the program and those who had been participating for at least four months, adjusted for correlation between repeated measurements. RESULTS The program had a positive effect on child weight gain, varying according to child nutritional status when starting this program; among those who started it with weight gain not compromised, the mean adjusted gain z-score was 0.183; among those with risk of low weight, 0.566; and among those with low weight, 1.005. CONCLUSIONS The program is effective for weight gain in children younger than two years, with a more pronounced effect on children who start the program under less favorable weight conditions.