Comparison of Treatment of SAM in Children 6-59 Months With RUTF and RUSF in Umerkot, Sindh, Pakistan

NCT04174846 · Status: WITHDRAWN · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Last updated 2021-05-19

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

In Pakistan, around 15% of children under five are wasted, which is almost twice that of the global prevalence 7.5%. There is a demand for a reliable and consistent locally available severe acute malnutrition (SAM) treatment option since currently the only option is to use an imported ready-to-use-therapeutic food (RUTF). While imported RUTF is successful for treatment of children with SAM, Pakistan is often faced with supply chain issues and consequentially management of SAM with RUTF is unreliable. The World Food Programme (WFP)'s work in Pakistan supports government-led efforts to improve food and nutrition security, including the development of Acha Mum, a chickpea containing lipid-based ready-to-use-food. Acha Mum replaces the peanut in standard RUTF formulation with chickpea, a locally available legume. Acha Mum is well accepted by children in Pakistan and is currently being used as a treatment for children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) in targeted supplementary feeding programs (TSFP) throughout the country. The broad objective of this clinical trial is to test the effectiveness of a chickpea-based specialized nutritious food Acha Mum, compared to a standard RUTF for the treatment of SAM. The study will be conducted in 10 basic health units (BHUs) operating by PPHI in Umerkot district of Sindh, Pakistan. This will be an individual randomized, double-blinded, controlled clinical non-inferiority trial assessing the treatment of SAM with one of two therapeutic foods. A total of 1700 children will be part of the study (850 children in RUTF and 850 children in Acha Mum group). Children aged 6-59 months with SAM, i.e. MUAC \<11.5 cm and/or with bilateral pitting oedema (+, ++), with appetite and without medical complications presenting at selected rural therapeutic feeding clinics. The primary outcome is recovery from SAM, defined as: MUAC ≥ 11.5cm (for two consecutive weekly visits), clinically well, no bilateral pitting oedema (for two consecutive weekly visits). The secondary outcomes include neurocognitive performance after first 4 weeks of treatment as assessed by eye tracking and infant problem solving; changes in MUAC, weight, and length; time to recovery from SAM; time to recovery from MAM defined as achieved a MUAC ≥12.5 cm; relapse into MAM; relapse into SAM and any adverse events.

Conditions

  • Severe Acute Malnutrition

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)

SAM children will receive approximately 190 kcal/kg/day of standard RUTF

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Ready-to-use-supplementary food (RUSF)

SAM children will receive approximately 190 kcal/kg/day of Acha Mum (AM-RUSF)

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

    collaborator OTHER
  • People's Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), Sindh

    collaborator UNKNOWN
  • Aga Khan University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
6 Months
Max Age
59 Months
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2021-01-31
Primary Completion
2021-07-31
Completion
2021-10-31

Countries

  • Pakistan

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

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View NCT04174846 on ClinicalTrials.gov