NCT00819858

Effect of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) Supplement After an Episode of Malaria Falciparum on Weight

The Effectiveness of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in Catch up Growth in Children After an Episode of P. Falciparum Malaria

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 180 (actual)
• Sponsor: Medecins Sans Frontieres, Netherlands · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 6 Months – 59 Months
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The primary objective of this study is to determine to what extent provision with RUTF will promote catch up growth in children following an acute uncomplicated episode of P. falciparum malaria.

Detailed description

Anorexia due to infection might lead to weight loss. In many settings total recovery is problematic what might result in a permanent lower weight. A short period high quality food supplementation could improve weight gain after an infection. Children aged 6-59 months presenting with malaria caused by P. falciparum who are provided with a RUTF supplement (Plumpynut®) of 500 kcal/day for 2 weeks will show significantly better catch up growth compared to a similar patient group not provided with RUTF (at 2 weeks and 4 weeks post-intervention).

Conditions

• Weight Loss
• Weight Gain
• Convalescence
• Malaria

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	RUTF (Plumpynut®)	Intervention group receives 500 kcal/day of RUTF for 2 weeks Control group receives no food supplement

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-01-01
• Primary completion: 2009-03-01
• Completion: 2009-03-01
• First posted: 2009-01-09
• Last updated: 2013-10-16

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Republic of the Congo