Energy Expenditure and Body Composition of Infants and Young Children (6-24 Months Old) in Asia

Mahidol University

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Infant and Young Child Feeding

Energy Expenditure

Body Composition

Infants and Young Children

Treatments

Other: No intervention

Study type

Observational

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT06287697

LOA/RAP/2019/20

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project is a collaboration between International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), FAO Regional Office for Asia and The Pacific, and Mahidol University, Thailand to carry out the study on doubly-labeled water for assessment of total energy expenditure and body composition among infants and young children aged 6-23 months old. Thailand conducted a longitudinal study with participation from 4 other countries, namely, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, in undertaking the same assessments in a cross-sectional design.

Full description

The current international recommendations on energy requirements for children aged 6-24 months were established based on data from the Western populations. More human data of healthy children from the developing countries where the living conditions may not be as favourable for child growth and development would be needed to ascertain the validity of the global recommendation. The role of the doubly-labelled water (DLW) technique in measuring total daily energy expenditure to derive energy requirements for humans was also highlighted. Low and middle income countries in Asian countries have undergone the nutrition transition and malnutrition on both ends of the spectrum emerge as significant nutrition challenges during this critical period of growth. Unfortunately, data on body composition, i.e., the relative amounts of fat and lean or fat-free tissue which constitutes quality normal growth beyond anthropometric measurements are scarce. These data will also be needed to guide the infant and young child feeding (IYCF) recommendations for good nutrition and health and to prevent all forms of malnutrition in the region.

This project addressed the need to fill the information gap for the region, and potentially be included for making revision on energy requirement recommendations for infants and young children (IYC) for Asia and beyond. Building on the previous technical cooperation between institutions in Southeast and South Asia with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on stable isotopic techniques for health and nutrition well-being, this project is a collaboration between IAEA, FAO Regional Office for Asia and The Pacific, and Mahidol University, Thailand to carry out the study on doubly-labeled water for assessment of total energy expenditure and body composition among infants and young children aged 6-23 months old. Thailand conducted a longitudinal study with participation from 4 other countries, namely, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, in undertaking the same assessments in a cross-sectional design.

Enrollment

391 patients

Sex

All

Ages

6 to 24 months old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria for Mothers:

Being aged >18 y old
Being non-smoker
Gestational age at delivery 37-41weeks
Belonging to the major ethnicity of the country
Having any socio-economic status
Willing to sign informed written consent

Inclusion Criteria for Infants:

Healthy baby
Full term
Having birth weight between 2.5 and 4.0 kg
Height-for-age Z score and weight-for-height Z score at or above -2SD
Being exclusively or predominantly breast-fed for at least 3 months

Exclusion Criteria for Mothers:

Mothers: having chronic diseases, e.g., gestational diabetes were excluded.

Exclusion Criteria for Infants:

Having inborn errors or chronic diseases e.g., celiac diseases
Taking special supplement, e.g., RUTF.

Trial design

391 participants in 5 patient groups

Longitudinal study-Thailand

Description:

Cohort 1: 60 children were started at 6-8 months old, and were followed-up at 9-11, 12-14 and 15-17 months old. Cohort 2: 71 children were started at 12-14 months old, were followed-up 15-17, 18-21 and 21-24 months old.

Treatment:

Other: No intervention

Cross-sectional study-Pakistan

Description:

Children aged 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17, 18-20, 21-23 months, both sexes.

Treatment:

Other: No intervention

Cross-sectional study-Philippines

Description:

Children aged 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17, 18-20, 21-23 months, both sexes.

Treatment:

Other: No intervention