Microbiome-directed food to promote sustained recovery in children with uncomplicated acute malnutrition: protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso

Abstract Background Acute malnutrition still affects millions of children under five years of age globally each year and contributes to approximately half of all annual childhood deaths. A considerable proportion of patients who recover from acute malnutrition experience poor health and nutrition an...

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Main Authors: Hermann Biénou Lanou, Jérôme Winetourefa Somé, Marie Arsène Aristide Koumbem, Seni Kouanda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-05-01
Series:BMC Nutrition
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01045-x
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author Hermann Biénou Lanou
Jérôme Winetourefa Somé
Marie Arsène Aristide Koumbem
Seni Kouanda
author_facet Hermann Biénou Lanou
Jérôme Winetourefa Somé
Marie Arsène Aristide Koumbem
Seni Kouanda
author_sort Hermann Biénou Lanou
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Acute malnutrition still affects millions of children under five years of age globally each year and contributes to approximately half of all annual childhood deaths. A considerable proportion of patients who recover from acute malnutrition experience poor health and nutrition and eventually relapse after they are discharged from community management of acute malnutrition programs. A microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF) showed a superior effect compared to standard ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) in terms of ponderal growth and potential benefit for bacterial taxa that were correlated with weight-for-height z-score (WHZ). This paper describes a protocol for the MDCF phase III trial on a larger African sample for promoting sustained recovery. Methods This study is an individually controlled open-label phase III trial to determine the efficacy of MDCF on programmatic and sustained recovery compared to standards RUTF and RUSF. Eligible MAM children will be randomly assigned to MDCF or RUSF and those with SAM to MDCF or RUTF. Supplementation and follow-up visits will be performed following national guidelines for acute malnutrition management. Primary outcomes are programmatic recovery at 12 weeks after enrollment and sustained recovery at 12 weeks after recovery. The secondary outcomes included the mean WHZ, weight-for-age z score, height-for-age z score change, average length of stay, nonresponse, failure and dropout. Discussion The present study is designed to investigate the efficacy of a microbiota-targeted food in treating acute uncomplicated malnutrition and preventing relapses. It will provide evidence as a phase III clinical trial. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov Protocol registration and results system (NCT05586139). Registered on 2022–10–14. https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/ .
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spelling doaj-art-4bbe0f1d82d34476a0a90dff560a761b2025-08-20T03:48:05ZengBMCBMC Nutrition2055-09282025-05-0111111010.1186/s40795-025-01045-xMicrobiome-directed food to promote sustained recovery in children with uncomplicated acute malnutrition: protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Burkina FasoHermann Biénou Lanou0Jérôme Winetourefa Somé1Marie Arsène Aristide Koumbem2Seni Kouanda3Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), National Centre for Scientific and Technologic Research (CNRST)Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), National Centre for Scientific and Technologic Research (CNRST)Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), National Centre for Scientific and Technologic Research (CNRST)Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), National Centre for Scientific and Technologic Research (CNRST)Abstract Background Acute malnutrition still affects millions of children under five years of age globally each year and contributes to approximately half of all annual childhood deaths. A considerable proportion of patients who recover from acute malnutrition experience poor health and nutrition and eventually relapse after they are discharged from community management of acute malnutrition programs. A microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF) showed a superior effect compared to standard ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) in terms of ponderal growth and potential benefit for bacterial taxa that were correlated with weight-for-height z-score (WHZ). This paper describes a protocol for the MDCF phase III trial on a larger African sample for promoting sustained recovery. Methods This study is an individually controlled open-label phase III trial to determine the efficacy of MDCF on programmatic and sustained recovery compared to standards RUTF and RUSF. Eligible MAM children will be randomly assigned to MDCF or RUSF and those with SAM to MDCF or RUTF. Supplementation and follow-up visits will be performed following national guidelines for acute malnutrition management. Primary outcomes are programmatic recovery at 12 weeks after enrollment and sustained recovery at 12 weeks after recovery. The secondary outcomes included the mean WHZ, weight-for-age z score, height-for-age z score change, average length of stay, nonresponse, failure and dropout. Discussion The present study is designed to investigate the efficacy of a microbiota-targeted food in treating acute uncomplicated malnutrition and preventing relapses. It will provide evidence as a phase III clinical trial. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov Protocol registration and results system (NCT05586139). Registered on 2022–10–14. https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/ .https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01045-xMicrobiomeComplementary foodSustained recoveryAcute malnutritionRelapses
spellingShingle Hermann Biénou Lanou
Jérôme Winetourefa Somé
Marie Arsène Aristide Koumbem
Seni Kouanda
Microbiome-directed food to promote sustained recovery in children with uncomplicated acute malnutrition: protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso
BMC Nutrition
Microbiome
Complementary food
Sustained recovery
Acute malnutrition
Relapses
title Microbiome-directed food to promote sustained recovery in children with uncomplicated acute malnutrition: protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso
title_full Microbiome-directed food to promote sustained recovery in children with uncomplicated acute malnutrition: protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso
title_fullStr Microbiome-directed food to promote sustained recovery in children with uncomplicated acute malnutrition: protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso
title_full_unstemmed Microbiome-directed food to promote sustained recovery in children with uncomplicated acute malnutrition: protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso
title_short Microbiome-directed food to promote sustained recovery in children with uncomplicated acute malnutrition: protocol for a randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso
title_sort microbiome directed food to promote sustained recovery in children with uncomplicated acute malnutrition protocol for a randomized controlled trial in burkina faso
topic Microbiome
Complementary food
Sustained recovery
Acute malnutrition
Relapses
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01045-x
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