Effects of an energy and micronutrient supplement on growth and activity, correcting for non-supplemental sources of energy input in undernourished children in Indonesia.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Micronutrients, published as a randomized controlled trial.

This paper investigates simultaneously the growth and activity of children that received an early energy and micronutrient supplement, adjusting for all non-supplemental energy intakes.

Any additional change in growth and activity after this adjustment was then compared across supplements at three points felt to be representative of the study.

Who Took Part

The age groups tagged for this paper are infants and young children, both men and women.

A 12-month-old (n = 53) and an 18-month-old (n = 83) cohort were recruited from day-care-centers.

Twenty children that received S belonged to the 12- and 18-month-old cohorts.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized study.

Because people in this Micronutrients study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

The sites were six tea plantations in Pangalengan, West Java.

Inclusion criteria were: no chronic disease; length-for-age < or = -1 standard deviation (s.d.) and weight-for-length between -1 and -2 s.d. of the median of the reference of the World Health Organization.

Length was measured with a portable measuring board; a Detecto scale with an accuracy of 0.1 kg was used for the measurement of body weight.

Arm and head circumferences were measured using similar fiberglass tapes.

Motor activity was assessed through continuous 4 h observations at home and at day care centers.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Anthropometry, Breast Feeding, Child Development, Cohort Studies, Dietary Supplements, Eating and Energy Intake.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of Micronutrients.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 1 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2000 (European journal of clinical nutrition), a journal based in England.

More context: all human trials.