View clinical trials related to Infant Malnutrition.
Filter by:Undernutrition and growth restriction due to poor diet and inadequate nutrient intake continues to be a global challenge, particularly in the developing countries including Uganda. The etiology of inadequate nutrient supply to infants may relate to lack of resources or knowledge or a combination of both. Poor nutrient intake and impaired growth may affect brain and cognitive development. This study aims to evaluate nutrient intake, growth and cognitive function among children between 6 and 36 months living in the fertile Kabale and Kisoro region in south-western Uganda. The investigators hypothesize that nutrition education to mothers can bring about improved dietary intake and nutritional status among children aged 6-36 months. A follow-up study is planned for the period January 2019 - December 2022.
This study aims at recruiting about twenty very low birth weight infants, either intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) or NON-IUGR STRATIFICATION:Population will be stratified in two groups: IUGR infants (approximately 10 children) and NON-IUGR infants (approximately 10 children). PRIMARY ENDPOINT:To evaluate the changes in the intestinal perfusion determined by feeding in VLBW infants fed by 3 hours nasogastric nutrition (CN) or by bolus (BN). SECONDARY ENDPOINT: - To compare if changes in the intestinal perfusion induced by feeding are different between IUGR and NON-IUGR infants; - To compare growth and nutritional status of the 2 groups by randomized arm. - To evaluate if changes of intestinal perfusion and oximetry induced by feeding are related to baseline (< 72 hours of life) values of Doppler flow velocimetry and of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS). After birth, in the first 24 hours of life, and in the transitional period, between the 48th and 72nd hours of life, all infants' intestinal perfusion will be evaluated with NIRS and a doppler of the superior mesenteric artery will be executed. - To test if changes in intestinal oximetry and perfusion can be reliable predictors of feeding intolerance (need of interruption of enteral feeding). DESIGN: This is a randomized, non-pharmacological, single-center, cross-over study including 20 VLBW babies. Duration of the study: 24 months. INCLUSION CRITERIA - Weight at birth ranging: 700 - 1501 grams; - Gestational age up to 25 weeks and 6 days; - Written informed consent from parents or guardians EXCLUSION CRITERIA - Major congenital abnormality (severe heart or cerebral disease, chromosomopathies, severe renal malformations, any malformation or disease of the gastroenteric tract) - Significant multi-organ failure prior to trial entry (perinatal asphyxia with renal, cardiac or cerebral impairment, DIC) - Pre-existing cutaneous disease not allowing the placement of the probe
Child undernutrition remains a highly prevalent condition in low and middle income countries and a major portion of the global burden of childhood malnutrition is found in South Asia with an estimated 74 million children living with chronic malnutrition (stunted growth) in this region. This burden of malnutrition accounts for approximately 50% of under five child deaths in developing countries. The risk of child death is also related to the severity of malnutrition and progressively increases the more the child's growth deviates from WHO Growth Standard, e.g. children with height-for-age <-3 Z scores from the standard have a four fold increased mortality risk compared to children within one Z score of the growth standard mean. Underweight in children for 18.7% of the global disability-adjusted life years in children less than five years of age. Childhood malnutrition is a pervasive problem in Bangladesh with 43% of children less than five years stunted in 2004 and 38% in urban child populations. An establish approach to promoting appropriate breastfeeding practices is through the use of local peer counsellors to provide information and to support to mothers. A recent study has conducted on pioneering research on this approach in Bangladesh.. The main aim of the study is to use a Cluster Randomized Control Trial (CRCT) to collect high-level evidence of whether peer counselling of women to promote appropriate breastfeeding and complementary feeding can improve feeding practices, child growth and reduce the prevalence of malnutrition in their children. The investigators will use a community-based Cluster Randomized Control Trial (CRCT) to examine the impact of a peer counselling infant feeding education program starting in the third trimester of pregnancy to one year after delivery, to improve child feeding practices, child growth and reduce the prevalence of malnutrition in their children. This will result in two study groups. The outcome assessments will be made on a cohort of infant-mother dyads measured at baseline and at follow up visits because the investigators expect a likely high correlation between baseline and follow up outcome measures, thus making this approach the most efficient study design. Outcome assessments will be conducted with all the mother-infant pairs recruited in the community clusters in the study, with an expected total of 1950 mother-infant days (975 in each treatment group). The peer counseling education will be offered to eligible pregnant women identified by household surveys over 3 months in each community cluster in the intervention group. Using a similar approach to recruitment, a cohort of mother-infant dyads, who will receive standard maternal and child health care programs, will be identified in the control clusters. Data will be collected on anthropometry, feeding practices and hygiene and caring practices etc. The investigators will report the results for 2-sided 5% tests for the primary trial outcome. Secondary analyses will examine each outcome variable (stunting, height-for-age, feeding patterns, and mean nutrient intakes) taking account of the repeated measurements within children by using separate mixed models. The investigators will use linear mixed models for continuous outcomes (e.g. height-for-age Z) and generalized linear mixed models for non-continuous outcomes (e.g. logistic mixed models for binary outcomes e.g. percentage exclusively breastfeeding). It is expected that the publications from this research will have substantial impact on child health and will help with the development of public health nutrition policies for children in South Asia and will be widely cited.
The use of lipid-based nutrients (LNS), such as Nutributter or fortified spread (FS), have been associated with improved growth and development outcomes among infants in Ghana and Malawi. Modified versions of such supplements have been developed to improve their nutrient density and quality and to lower their costs. Such modified products have proven acceptable to pregnant women in Malawi and Ghana. In the present trial, the investigators aim to test the effect of LNS on pregnancy and child outcomes, when given during pregnant and lactating women and their infants from 6 to 18 months of age. In control groups, participants will receive either iron+folate tables during pregnancy only or multiple micronutrient tablets during pregnancy and first six months of lactations. The main hypothesis to be tested suggests that the mean length-for-age Z-score (LAZ) of 18-month-old infants who received LNS between 6 and 18 months of age and whose mothers were provided with LNS during pregnancy and the first 6 months of lactation is higher than the mean LAZ score of same age infants who received no dietary supplements and whose mothers received iron-folate supplementation during pregnancy only. To detect the long-term effect of the LNS supplementation, we now propose to conduct a follow-up study when the children are 9 years old, to see if the intervention had effect on children's growth, cardiometabolic and respiratory status and neurocognitive development.