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Modified Dosage for Severe Acute Malnutrition

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Severe Acute Malnutrition
Interventions
Dietary Supplement: ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)
Registration Number
NCT06061484
Lead Sponsor
Action Against Hunger USA
Brief Summary

Protocols for the community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) have not changed significantly for more than 20 years, with relatively complex treatment protocols and persistent supply chain challenges that have limited overall program coverage, leaving millions of malnourished children without care annually. The overarching goal of this research project is to simultaneously test two novel simplified approaches in CMAM with potential to improve program coverage. The simplified approach includes two parallel clinical trials for SAM and MAM treatment. Two fixed-dose regimes of RUTF will be tested against the current weight-based dosing of RUTF for children with SAM.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
2400
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Age 6-59 months
  2. Reside in the catchment area of the health post where the trial is to be conducted without plans to leave the area over the next year
  3. Uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition, as defined by no signs of severe illness that would require referral to inpatient facility
  4. Pass appetite test conducted at the time of enrollment
  5. Consent for randomization into the study given by mother, father, and/or other primary caregiver
  6. Mid-upper arm circumference less than 115 mm and/or nutritional edema
  7. Weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) less than -3
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Complicated acute malnutrition with severe illness requiring transfer to a stabilization center or hospital for treatment. This includes, but is not limited to: a. Hypothermia b. High fever c. Signs of hypoglycemia d. Lethargy or altered mental status e. Moderate to severe dehydration f. Shock g. Other medical complications requiring hospitalization or higher-level medical evaluation
  2. Treatment for acute malnutrition, either as an inpatient or outpatient, within the past 3 months
  3. Known chronic medical illness such as severe cerebral palsy, severe congenital anomalies such as unrepaired congenital heart disease, Down syndrome, hydrocephalus, unrepaired cleft lip or palate, or other conditions that would be expected to contribute to difficulty feeding the prescribed amounts of therapeutic or supplementary food

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
SAM Experimental BAmoxicillin2 sachets (1000 kcal) per day while MUAC \< 115mm and/or edema and/or WHZ \< -3; then decreasing to 1 sachet (500 kcal) per day while MUAC 115-124 and WHZ -2 to -3 and no edema
Control GroupAmoxicillinStandard weight-based dosing of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) at a dose of 150-200 kcal/kg/day
SAM Experimental Aready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)2 sachets (1000 kcal) of RUTF per day
SAM Experimental Bready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)2 sachets (1000 kcal) per day while MUAC \< 115mm and/or edema and/or WHZ \< -3; then decreasing to 1 sachet (500 kcal) per day while MUAC 115-124 and WHZ -2 to -3 and no edema
Control Groupready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)Standard weight-based dosing of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) at a dose of 150-200 kcal/kg/day
SAM Experimental AAmoxicillin2 sachets (1000 kcal) of RUTF per day
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
short-term nutritional recovery from severe acute malnutrition (SAM)up to 16 weeks

two consecutive weeks with MUAC \> 12.4 cm and/or WHZ \>= -2 and/or resolution of edema, depending on enrollment criteria

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
changes to phase angle (PhA) as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysisup to weekly for up to 16 weeks
changes to extracellular water (ECW) as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysisup to weekly for up to 16 weeks
mortalityup to 16 weeks
duration of treatment required prior to short-term recoveryup to 16 weeks
weight gain during treatmentweekly for up to 16 weeks
MUAC gain during treatmentweekly for up to 16 weeks
length/height gain during treatmentweekly for up to 16 weeks
changes to total body water (TBW) as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysisup to weekly for up to 16 weeks
medium-term rates of hospitalizationup to 6 months post-recovery
medium-term MUAC gainup to 6 months post-recovery
medium-term total body water (TBW) as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis6 months post-recovery
medium-term length/height gain6 months post-recovery
changes to fat free mass as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysisup to weekly for up to 16 weeks
rates of acute illness, including diarrhea, vomiting, and fever during treatmentweekly for up to 16 weeks
hospitalizationup to 16 weeks
medium-term vital statusup to 6 months post-recovery

calculated as number of children who die divided by total number of children initially enrolled

medium-term nutritional statusup to 6 months post-recovery

calculated as number of children who develop acute malnutrition by the total number of children initially enrolled

medium-term extracellular water (ECW) as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis6 months post-recovery
changes in immunological function during treatment as measured by quantification of T-cell recombination excision circles (TRECs) and kappa-deleting recombination excision circles (KRECs) on dried blood spotsup to weekly for up to 16 weeks
medium-term immunological function during treatment as measured by quantification of T-cell recombination excision circles (TRECs) and kappa-deleting recombination excision circles (KRECs) on dried blood spots6 months post-recovery
medium-term rates of relapse to SAMup to 6 months post-recovery
medium-term rates of relapse to MAMup to 6 months post-recovery
medium-term weight gainup to 6 months post-recovery
medium-term phase angle (PhA) as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis6 months post-recovery
short-term cost-efficiencyup to 16 weeks

calculated as the total costs of the treatment for all children divided by the number of children who achieve nutritional recovery

medium-term fat free mass as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis6 months post-recovery
medium-term cost-efficiency6 months post-recovery

calculated as the total costs of the treatment for all children divided by the number of children who sustain nutritional recovery

Trial Locations

Locations (3)

Gode

🇪🇹

Gode, Somali Region, Ethiopia

Teltele

🇪🇹

Teltele, Oromia, Ethiopia

Sekota

🇪🇹

Sekota, Amhara, Ethiopia

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