Malnourished Children, Stunting of Growth
Conditions
Keywords
stunting, food supplementation, counseling, cash tranfers
Brief summary
In a recently completed intervention study, more than 50% of children in Lusaka were found to be stunted by age two, even when nutritional supplements were provided. It seems likely that these high rates of stunting are primarily due to inadequate basic nutritional intake. The main goal of this project is investigate this conjecture through a small pilot study that will be conducted in the urban area of Lusaka.
Detailed description
This is very small cluster-randomized trial, with 64 families recruited from 4 selected neighbourhoods. 2 of these neighbourhoods will be selected for nutritional counselling and food support. Children ages 6-12 months old and their caregivers will be included. Exclusion criteria: low birth weight; planning to move; twins. All families will complete a baseline and endline assessment - each lasting approximately 30-45 minutes. Children in the two intervention clusters will receive a visit every two weeks to discuss child nutrition, and to monitor height and weight gains. We will also provide additional food/groceries to mothers in the treatment group, i.e. to the 32 families in the two neighborhoods selected for treatment.
Interventions
OTHERIntensive growth support
For women in the intervention group, we will develop a nutritional plan for the child in collaboration with the mother. Mothers will then receive a visit every other week - during this visit, children's health and nutrition will be discussed, and height and weight will be measured by field officers. Detailed food recommendations will be made based on national and international infant and young child feeding guidelines. To ensure appropriate foods are available, field workers will drop off local foods on a weekly basis.
Sponsors
Günther Fink
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
6 Months to 12 Months
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Only children who are 6-12 months old at the time of recruitment and their caregivers in selected areas will be eligible for the study.
Exclusion criteria
* expected to move * no child health card * participating in cash transfer programs
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Height-for-age z-score | measured approximately 6 months after initiation of intervention | Children's height for age z-score after six months of interventions |
Countries
Zambia
Outcome results
None listed