Can better nutrition help critically ill children recover?
NCT ID NCT06716229
First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026
Summary
Researchers are observing how nutritional support relates to clinical and hospital outcomes in critically ill children admitted to a pediatric referral hospital in Bolivia. The study follows 56 children throughout their hospital stay, tracking the nutrition they receive as part of standard care and measuring growth markers such as mid-upper arm circumference and weight-for-height. The goal is to understand whether the nutritional support a child receives is associated with how well they recover.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- standard nutritional support provided during hospital care
- What this could lead to
- If a link emerges between nutritional support and better hospital outcomes, it could help doctors in Bolivia and similar settings decide how best to feed critically ill children.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small observational study of 56 children at one hospital, so it cannot prove that nutrition causes better outcomes. Findings may not apply to other hospitals or to children with chronic illnesses.
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.
- Participants
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56 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Apr 2025
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- 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.
Who is studied
Critically ill children with acute conditions who are admitted to the PICU, intermediate care or wards of a pediatric referral hospital
- Ages
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1 month to 15 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: * Admitted to intensive care or intermediate care in hospital wards * Complete clinical and anthropometric data. Exclusion Criteria: * Congenital or acquired chronic disease affecting growth (secondary malnutrition) * On medication (corticosteroids, immunoglobulins, albumin) * Burn patients, with prosthetic implants, postoperative of large tumor resections. * Unknown history of pre-referral hospital management or hospitalized in other health facilities.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Hospital del Nino Manuel Ascencio Villarroel
Cochabamba, Cercado, 3119, Bolivia
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Universidad Mayor de San Simon
Cochabamba, Cercado, 3119, Bolivia
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