Comparison of Two Nutrition Interventions in Young Children in El Salvador

Status Active, not recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

Adequate nutrition during the first years of life is essential to reach full body and brain development potential. Children under the age of 5 in Central America and El Salvador suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. In El Salvador, ~ 20% of children under the age of 5 suffer from chronic undernutrition which is reflected in low length-for-their age Z-scores and anemia. This trial will examine the impact on health and growth in young children that will receive either a 21 micronutrient fortified cereal/legume mix manufactured in Guatemala or the current standard of nutritional care. The ultimate goal is to identify other feasible and effective alternatives to prevent micronutrient deficiencies through culturally acceptable vehicles.

Clinical Trial Description

A two-arm nutritional intervention trial utilizing a cluster-randomized design will be implemented in the Department of La Libertad, El Salvador, in children from 6 to 59 months of age for 5 years. One arm of the trial will receive a cereal/legume extruded premix fortified with 21 micronutrients (amounts described in Intervention Type section) and the other arm will continue to receive the current standard of nutritional care that consist of a fortified cereal mix, vitamin A capsules, and prophylactic iron drops.

The monitoring and evaluation of this trial will be integrated to an ongoing program implemented by a local NGO (FUSAL) that aims to reduce poverty and micronutrient deficiencies through a variety of strategies. The nutrition products for children under 24 months of age will be provided by El Salvadoran government health workers at the government's health facilities. FUSAL will also be in charge of distributing food products to children from 24 to 59 months of age on a monthly basis at the community sites.

The trial design includes clusters (census subdivisions with a unique number used by the Government of El Salvador to perform the country's census) that were randomized into one of the two treatments. To evaluate the impact of the nutrition interventions, the trial will have two different types of experimental designs:

1. A repeated cross sectional design: to compare outcomes between groups after 1 year and on a yearly basis until the study is completed.

2. Longitudinal design: children will be followed up over time for at least one year, until they turn 60 months and/or the study is completed, to evaluate incidence and recurrence of anemia, undernutrition and morbidity, and other outcomes.

The investigators will test the following hypotheses:

1. Children receiving the 21 micronutrient fortified supplement will have better health and growth than children receiving the nutritional standard of care.

2. Those who receive the 21 micronutrient fortified supplement until 59 months of age continuously will have better health and growth compared to those who received the nutritional standard of care.

3. The effect of the interventions will be most notable in those children who are stunted/anemic. ;

Study Design

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

Micronutrient Deficiency

Clinical Trial Details

NCT number	NCT02567981
Study type	Interventional
Source	The Mathile Institute for the Advancement of Human Nutrition
Contact
Status	Active, not recruiting
Phase	N/A
Start date	September 2015
Completion date	September 2020

View Details

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Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.

Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.