Maximizing the Benefits of Iron in Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods for Malnourished Children in Kenya
Recruiting now · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Iron Absorption, Iron Deficiencies, Severly Acutely Malnourished Children, Malnutrition in Children, Anemia
In brief
Reports from the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) in Kwale County, southern Kenya, indicate a limited impact of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs) on malnutrition or anemia. The current RUTF formulation may have an excessively high iron content. In severely acutely malnourished (SAM) children, iron cannot be properly absorbed, leading to life-threatening diarrhea. The overall aim of this project is to develop an improved RUTF treatment that addresses acute malnutrition and anemia in children, ensuring both safety and efficacy. Specifically, to assess the impact of malnutrition on fractional iron absorption (FIA) from RUTFs in children, by comparing healthy children to those with acute malnutrition and by tracking changes in FIA in malnourished children over the course of treatment.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07315295
- Run by
- ETH Zurich
- People needed
- 68
- Starts
- 2025-12-23
- Expected to finish
- 2026-06-30
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-01-02
Who can join
Age: 1 and older, up to 5. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- malnourished children:
- severe acute malnutrition (SAM): WHZ < -3.0
- moderate acute malnutrition (MAM): WHZ < -2.0 a
- treated as outpatients (no acute medical conditions and a positive appetite test)
- healthy children:
- healthy: HAZ, WAZ and WHZ = 0
- Exclusion Criteria (both groups):
- Hemoglobin ≤7 g/dL
- Presence of acute medical conditions requiring inpatient management
Where it is running
- ETH/Oxford/JKUAT research facility — Msambweni, Kwale County, Kenya (enrolling)
- ETH Zurich, Laboratory of Clinical Biopharmacy, Zurich, 8092 — Zurich, Switzerland
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.