Could a simple nutrient boost baby brain development in all pregnancies?
NCT ID NCT07699393
First seen Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 15, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether giving choline supplements to pregnant women who do not drink alcohol can improve their babies' brain development and growth. Half the women receive a choline drink and half receive a placebo, and researchers measure infant memory, weight, and head size. The goal is to see if choline benefits all babies, not just those exposed to alcohol in the womb.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- choline bitartrate
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that choline supplements during pregnancy broadly benefit fetal brain development and growth, not just in cases of alcohol exposure.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 50 participants, so results may not apply widely. The supplement may have no measurable benefit in non-drinking women.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 45 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥18 yr * ≤20 wk gestation * Singleton pregnancy * Abstinence from alcohol since conception (by report) * Current choline dietary intake \<1 g/day * Language fluency in English or Afrikaans Exclusion Criteria: * Use of methamphetamine or other illicit drugs other than marijuana during the past year * HIV positive * Pharmacologic treatment for a serious pre-existing medical condition (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy, or cardiac problems) * Having another child enrolled in the trial from a previous pregnancy * Plans for mother or child to move away from the area prior to study completion
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Cape Town
RECRUITINGCape Town, South Africa
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