Effectiveness of Positive Deviance/Hearth in Treating Uncomplicated Moderate Acute Malnutrition in Children 6-59 Months in Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh

Inclusion criteria

• Children 6-52.9 months at Baseline. This is so that children are 6-59 months by end of study (6-7 months from baseline)
• Children with MAM (WHZ/WLZ <-2 and ≥-3 and/or MUAC <125mm and ≥115mm)
• No Medical Complications (passes IMCI screening questions)
• No oedema
• Child does not deteriorate to SAM (WHZ/WLZ<-3 and/or MUAC<115mm) because child should be referred to health centre
• Caregiver refuses to receive age-appropriate immunization, Vitamin A and deworming minimum 2 weeks before PDH begins
• Child is not planning to live outside the study area routinely for more than 2 weeks during the 3 months of the study
• Written/Oral consent is given by Parent/Caregiver to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Child is not between 6-52 months of age at Baseline
• Child does not meet the inclusion criteria for WHZ/WLZ and/or MUAC; (WHZ/WLZ <-2SD and ≥-3SD and/or MUAC <125mm and ≥115mm);
• Child has oedema;
• Child has medical complications and/or does not pass the IMCI screening including fever, nausea/vomiting, acute respiratory illness (refer to Study Protocol V2.0, 19 Feb 2026);
• Deteriorates to SAM and must be removed from the study and referred to the health centre for specially formulated food (SFF) treatment;
• Refuses to receive minimum 2 weeks before the intervention begins, age-appropriate immunization and Vitamin A and deworming in the past 6 months;
• Child lives outside the study area routinely or will be outside of the study area for more than 2 weeks in the upcoming 3 months
• Parent/Caregiver unable or unwilling to attend PDH from start;
• Parent/Caregiver does not provide written or oral consent to screen for the trial;
• Parent/Caregiver does not provide informed consent for the study; and
• any other reason.