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Microbiome-Directed Food for Sustained Recovery From Acute Malnutrition

Not Applicable
Not yet recruiting
Conditions
Acute Malnutrition With no Complications
Interventions
Dietary Supplement: Microbiome-directed food - MAM
Dietary Supplement: Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)
Dietary Supplement: Ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF)
Dietary Supplement: Microbiome-directed food (MDF) - SAM
Registration Number
NCT05586139
Lead Sponsor
Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Sante, Burkina Faso
Brief Summary

The goal of this experimental study is to test the efficacy of a new formulation - The microbiome-directed food (MDF) to treat acute malnutrition among children aged 6 to 23 months. The main questions are:

* Does treating children with moderate or severe uncomplicated malnutrition using MDF leads to higher programmatic recovery rate compared to standard of care ?

* Does treating children with moderate or severe uncomplicated malnutrition using MDF leads to higher sustained recovery rate compared to standard of care ? The MDF will be compared to Ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) for moderately malnourished children, and to Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) for severely malnourished children to see the effects on recovery and sustained recovery rate.

Detailed Description

In this stratified trial, children presenting at the health center and fulfilling the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated into one of the study groups in a ratio of 1:1:1 for MAM and 1:1 for SAM.

The supplementation will be done on daily basis according to the child's weight for a maximum of 12 weeks, at which point the programmatic recovery assessment is done. Those who recovered before or at this point, will be subsequently followed up monthly up to 3 month for sustained recovery assessment.

Follow-up visits will be done at the health center every week for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) children and every two weeks for moderate acute malnutrition (SAM) children.

At each visit, anthropometric measurements will be performed; a morbidity questionnaire will be administered before the mother/caregiver receives the ration for the following period. For the measurement of adherence, mothers will be asked to bring back empty and unused sachets/packaging of supplements from the last visit. Questions will also be asked to the mother/caregiver on the difficulties encountered during consumption and the adverse events observed following the consumption of the supplements.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
6200
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age between 6 and 23 months
  • Moderate wasting: WHZ < -2 and ≥ -3 or MUAC < 125 mm and ≥ 115mm or - Severe wasting: WHZ < -3 or MUAC < 115 mm
Exclusion Criteria
  • Bilateral pitting edema
  • Not eating/lack of appetite
  • Current illness medical complications requiring inpatient treatment
  • Presence of any congenital abnormality or underlying chronic disease that may affect growth or risk of infection
  • Known contraindication/hypersensitivity/allergy to MDCF of RUSF ingredients (chickpea flour, soy flour, banana, peanut)
  • Relapse from MAM treatment or transfer from SAM treatment
  • Children recently (<2 months) or enrolled in a nutrition program
  • Residence outside the study area

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Microbiome-directed food (MDF) - MAMMicrobiome-directed food - MAMEach (MAM) child will receive a daily ration of MDF corresponding to his weight, for maximum 12 weeks
Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)Each (SAM) child will receive a daily ration of RUTF corresponding to his weight, for maximum 12 weeks of supplementation
Ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF)Ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF)Each (MAM) child will receive a daily ration of MDF corresponding to his weight, for maximum 12 weeks
Microbiome-directed food (MDF) - SAMMicrobiome-directed food (MDF) - SAMEach (SAM) child will receive a daily ration of MDF corresponding to his weight, for maximum 12 weeks of supplementation.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Sustained recovery defined by WHZ ≥ - 2 z-score or MUAC ≥ 125 mm24 weeks from admission to the supplementation program

Children who sustain recovery (WHZ ≥ - 2 z-score or MUAC ≥ 125 mm) up to 24 weeks

Programmatic recovery defined by Weight-for-height (WHZ) ≥ - 2 z-score or mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) ≥ 125 mm12th weeks from admission to the supplementation program

Moderate cute malnutrition is defined by Weight-for-height (WHZ) \< - 2 z-score or mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) \< 125 mm. Higher WHZ z-score (≥ - 2) or mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) ≥ 125 mm means better outcome synonym of recovery

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Time to recoveryUp to 12 weeks

Determined by the number of days from admission to programmatic recovery among those who recovered

Mean change in Weight-for-age (WAZ) z-score12 weeks from admission to the supplementation program

(WAZ z-score at admission) - (WAZ z-score at 12 weeks)

Mean change in Height-for-age (HAZ) z-score12 weeks from admission to the supplementation program

(HAZ z-score at admission) - (HAZ z-score at 12 weeks)

Failureup to 12 weeks

Absence of weight gain, assessed at the 3rd consecutive visit;

* Weight loss since admission to the program, assessed at the 1st visit after admission;

* Loss of 5% of body weight compared to admission weight.

Mean change in Weight-for-height (WHZ) z-score12 weeks from admission to the supplementation program

(WHZ z-score at admission) - (WHZ z-score at 12 weeks)

Non-response defined by WHZ < -2 z-score, or a MUAC < 125 mm12 weeks

Children who failed to attain a weight-for-height (WHZ) ≥ - 2 z-score or mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) ≥ 125 mm

Complicationsup to 12 weeks

* Edema

* Fever \>39°C or hypothermia \<35°C

* Severe dehydration

* Repeated or incessant vomiting

* Severe respiratory problem (IMCI criteria)

* severe anemia (significant pallor with difficulty of breathing)

* Severe malaria

* Abscess or extensive skin lesions

* Very weak, apathetic, unconscious

* Seizure

Dropouts12 weeks

Lost to follow up

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

LANOU Hermann Bienou

🇧🇫

Ouagadougou, Kadiogo, Burkina Faso

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