Could a smaller dose of nutrients protect kids from malnutrition?

NCT ID NCT07451951

Prevention Sponsor: Aga Khan University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026 · Updated 5 times

Summary

This study compares two types of nutrient supplements—small-quantity and medium-quantity—to see if the smaller one works just as well at preventing undernutrition in children aged 6 to 12 months. About 980 infants in Pakistan will receive one of the two supplements daily for 6 months. Researchers will track growth and anemia to determine if the smaller supplement is a good alternative.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: lipid-based nutrient supplements (small-quantity vs medium-quantity)
What this could lead to: If the smaller supplement works as well, it could provide a more cost-effective option to prevent undernutrition in young children in low-resource communities.
What could go wrong: This is a non-inferiority trial, so the smaller supplement may prove less effective. Results may not apply to other populations or settings.

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

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

About 1,568 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Feb 2026

Expected to finish

Dec 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

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

26 to 33 weeks

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show 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: * Children aged 6 months (26 weeks) to 7 months and 15 days (33 weeks) with weight-for-length z-score (WLZ) ≥ -2 standard deviation (SD) and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) ≥125 mm, born to mothers who are beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme and registered with the Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP) at any point during their pregnancy. * Permanent residents of the selected districts, with no plan to relocate or migrate within the next 6 months. * Written informed consent provided by the child's caregivers. Exclusion Criteria: * Children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), defined as WLZ ≥ -3 to \< -2 SD, or MUAC ≥115 mm to \<125 mm. * Children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM), defined as WLZ \< -3 SD or MUAC \<115 mm or presence of bilateral pitting edema, who require therapeutic feeding. * Children with known congenital anomalies, chronic illness, or conditions affecting growth or feeding (for example, cerebral palsy or congenital heart disease). * Children already enrolled in any nutritional supplementation other than BNP or another clinical trial. * Children whose families will be unwilling to provide informed consent, or likely to be unavailable for follow-up.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anemia Cachexia hereditary endocrine growth disease Malnutrition Thinness nutritional deficiency disease prevention target

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Undernutrition

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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

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Could a smaller dose of nutrients protect kids from malnutrition?

What the study statuses mean