Question: Is amoxicillin used for treatment of malnutrition in children?

Context:
 Another RCT did not show superiority of ceftriaxone over amoxicilllin for these same outcomes, but adressed SAM children with and without complications (p = 0.27). Another RCT showed no difference between amoxicillin and cotrimoxazole efficacies for pneumonia in underweight, but not SAM. Our meta-analysis of 12 pooled susceptibility-studies for all types of bacterial isolates, including 2767 stricly SAM children, favoured amoxicillin over cotrimoxazole for susceptibility medians: 42% (IQR 27-55%) vs 22% (IQR 17-23%) and population-weighted-means 52.9% (range 23-57%) vs 35.4% (range 6.7-42%).
 Susceptibility-studies favour amoxicillin over cotrimoxazole. 
Oral amoxicillin for 5 days was as effective as intramuscular ceftriaxone for 2 days (1 RCT). For uncomplicated SAM, amoxicillin showed no benefit over placebo (1 retrospective study). 
Children who took amoxicillin and de-worming had 95% (HR = 1.95, 95%-CI = 1.17, 3.23) and 74% (HR = 1.74, 95%-CI = 1.07, 2.83) more probability to recover from SAM as compared to those who didn't take them.
METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we randomly assigned Malawian children, 6 to 59 months of age, with severe acute malnutrition to receive amoxicillin, cefdinir, or placebo for 7 days in addition to ready-to-use therapeutic food for the outpatient treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition. 
In the amoxicillin, cefdinir, and placebo groups, 88.7%, 90.9%, and 85.1% of the children recovered, respectively (relative risk of treatment failure with placebo vs. amoxicillin, 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.68; relative risk with placebo vs. cefdinir, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.27 to 2.11). The mortality rates for the three groups were 4.8%, 4.1%, and 7.4%, respectively (relative risk of death with placebo vs. amoxicillin, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.07 to 2.24; relative risk with placebo vs. cefdinir, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.22 to 2.64).
Evaluation of the routine use of amoxicillin as part of the home-based treatment of severe acute malnutrition.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the inclusion of amoxicillin correlates with better recovery rates in the home-based treatment of severe acute malnutrition with ready-to-use therapeutic food.
The standard protocol group received a 7-day course of amoxicillin at the onset of treatment.
RESULTS: Four hundred and ninety-eight children were treated according to the standard protocol with amoxicillin, and 1955 were treated under the alternate protocol without antibiotics. 
The recovery rate for children who received amoxicillin was worse at 4 weeks (40%vs. 71%) but similar after up to 12 weeks of therapy (84%vs. 86%), compared to the children treated without antibiotics.
CONCLUSIONS: This review of two therapeutic feeding programmes suggests that children with severe acute malnutrition who were treated without amoxicillin did not have an inferior rate of recovery.
Treatment of severe malnutrition with 2-day intramuscular ceftriaxone vs 5-day amoxicillin.
To determine whether the inclusion of amoxicillin correlates with better recovery rates in the home-based treatment of severe acute malnutrition with ready-to-use therapeutic food.
Evaluation of the routine use of amoxicillin as part of the home-based treatment of severe acute malnutrition
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the inclusion of amoxicillin correlates with better recovery rates in the home-based treatment of severe acute malnutrition with ready-to-use therapeutic food. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study compared data from the treatment of two groups of children in Malawi aged 6-59 months with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition. 
The recovery rate for children who received amoxicillin was worse at 4 weeks (40%vs. 71%) but similar after up to 12 weeks of therapy (84%vs. 86%), compared to the children treated without antibiotics. Regression modelling indicated that this difference at 4 weeks was most strongly associated with the receipt of amoxicillin. CONCLUSIONS: This review of two therapeutic feeding programmes suggests that children with severe acute malnutrition who were treated without amoxicillin did not have an inferior rate of recovery. 
CONCLUSIONS: This review of two therapeutic feeding programmes suggests that children with severe acute malnutrition who were treated without amoxicillin did not have an inferior rate of recovery. 

Answer: Yes, amoxicillin is used for treatment of malnutrition in children.
Exact answer: yes