Could a simple antibiotic boost recovery from severe malnutrition?
NCT ID NCT01000298
First seen Aug 17, 2026 · Last updated Aug 17, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether giving oral antibiotics alongside a therapeutic food improves recovery in young children with severe acute malnutrition (kwashiorkor or marasmus). Children aged 6 months to 5 years who qualify for home-based feeding will receive either amoxicillin, cefdinir, or a placebo for 7 days. The study compares nutritional recovery and weight gain among the groups to see if antibiotics add any benefit.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- oral antibiotics (amoxicillin or cefdinir) given alongside ready-to-use therapeutic food
- What this could lead to
- If antibiotics help, this could lead to a simple, low-cost addition to home-based treatment for severe malnutrition, potentially saving many young lives.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is testing a hypothesis that antibiotics may not change recovery rates. Risks include antibiotic side effects and the possibility that adding drugs offers no benefit.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for KWASHIORKOR are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
St. Louis Nutrition Project
Blantyre, Malawi
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.