Can mealworm powder help fight child malnutrition? new trial aims to find out
NCT ID NCT07284095
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a daily supplement made from mealworm flour can improve the nutritional health of 40 children aged 2-10 with chronic malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One group will receive the mealworm supplement, while the other gets a traditional corn-soy blend. Researchers will measure changes in growth and blood nutrient levels to see which supplement works better.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Feb 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2026
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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2 to 10 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Children diagnosed with chronic malnutrition (weight-for-height or BMI below -2 SD according to WHO standards). Children whose families agree to participate in the intervention and sign the informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria: * Children with severe acute illnesses that may interfere with the intervention. * Children with known allergies to the ingredients of the nutritional products provided.
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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.
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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Kesho Congo
Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.