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CompletedNCT01235767VACVINAUpdated Nov 24, 2020

Animal Source Food Supplement and Pregnancy in Vietnam

An interventional study of Food in Low Birth Weight and Preterm Birth, sponsored by UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. Completed at 1 site in Vietnam. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 30 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-11-24.

Sponsored by UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
291
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 30 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if a nutrient-rich supplement of animal-source foods ingested 5d/wk from pre-conception to term improves maternal nutrient status, decreases infections, and improves birth weight and rates of prematurity compared with supplemental ingestion during pregnancy ( from mid-gestation to term) or routine prenatal care.

Read the detailed description

It has been known for over 80 years that maternal starvation reduces fetal growth and increases neonatal infections. Many different nutrition programs have been targeted to pregnant women to improve pregnancy outcomes. The impact of these programs has been disappointing, and the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) and infant mortality remains high, especially in developing countries. More recently, as a result of improved access to cereals following the 'green revolution,' nutritional concerns shifted from protein and energy to micronutrient deficiencies, especially those micronutrients in animal-source foods (ASFs)-iron, zinc, vitamins A and B12. Diets of pregnant women are usually limited to rice and a few vegetables, and they lack key nutrients known to reduce preterm delivery, to support fetal growth, and to prevent infections that leads to early neonatal deaths. Vietnam has a well-established farm system that supports the local production of fish, pork, poultry, and eggs. This provides an opportunity to evaluate the impact of a food-based, micronutrient-rich supplement on pregnancy outcome in high-risk, rural Vietnamese women. Since maternal nutritional status at conception is strongly linked to pregnancy outcomes, we will compare the effect of consuming a micronutrient-rich, animal-source food (ASF) supplement from pre-conception to term with a supplement from mid-gestation to term or routine prenatal care on infant birth weight, prematurity rate, and infant growth during the first 6 months of life. This study will be the first to compare a food-based, micronutrient-rich supplement consumed prior to conception to term with one given only during pregnancy. Although it is recognized by many that pregnancy may be too narrow a window to improve maternal nutritional health, it is typical for micronutrient supplements to only be given from the time of enrolling for prenatal care to term. The results of our study, therefore, will have world-wide implications regarding when maternal supplementation should be given to have the greatest impact on pregnancy outcome.

02

Conditions studied

  • Low Birth Weight
  • Preterm Birth

Keywords

  • birth weight
  • prematurity
  • gestational age
  • low birth weight
  • pregnancy
  • nutrition
  • Vietnam
03

In context

Premature Birth

2,557 studies on the registry are indexed under Premature Birth; 500 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 291 is above the median of 84 across 1,691 interventional studies indexed under Premature Birth.

Browse Premature Birth studies →

Lead sponsor

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland is the lead sponsor of 53 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 30 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Non-pregnant women registering to marry in the Cam Khe District of Phu Tho Province
  • Nulliparous
  • Planning to reside in the study site for the next 3 years.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Married
  • Have had a previous pregnancy
  • Have a history of severe infections (HIV, TB) or metabolic disease (diabetes)
  • BMI \<17 kg/m2
  • Do not reside in study communes
  • Unable to provide informed consent
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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
291 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    ASF supplement pre-pregnancy to term

    Supplement of animal-source foods rich in iron, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin B12

    Other: Food

  • Experimental
    ASF Supplement mid-gestation to term

    Supplement of animal-source foods rich in iron, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin B12

    Other: Food

  • No intervention
    Routine prenatal care

    Nutrition education and iron-folate supplements during pregnancy

Interventions

  • OtherFood

    Animal-source food (ASF) supplement rich in iron, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin B12 taken week-days at mid-morning separate from other food. Length of intervention is either from pre-pregnancy (time of registration to marry) to term or from 16 weeks gestation to term.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Birth Weight

    Weight of baby at birth on a scale weighing to 0.1 g made within one hour of delivery

    Time frame: At birth

Secondary outcomes

  1. Preterm birth

    Birth of baby prior to 37 weeks gestation based on mother's last menstrual period, confirmed by ultrasound

    Time frame: At birth

07

Study locations

1 site
  • National Institute of Nutrition
    Hanoi, Vietnam
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Quyen PN, Nga HT, Chaffee B, Ngu T, King JC. Effect of maternal prenatal food supplementation, gestational weight gain, and breast-feeding on infant growth during the first 24 months of life in rural Vietnam. PLoS One. 2020 Jun 25;15(6):e0233671. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233671. eCollection 2020. PubMed 32584881 ↗
  • Nga HT, Quyen PN, Chaffee BW, Diep Anh NT, Ngu T, King JC. Effect of a nutrient-rich, food-based supplement given to rural Vietnamese mothers prior to and/or during pregnancy on birth outcomes: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2020 May 29;15(5):e0232197. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232197. eCollection 2020. PubMed 32469870 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 24, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01235767
Lead sponsor
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 7, 2010
Start date
Jan 2011
Primary completion
May 2016
Completion
May 2016
Last update
Nov 24, 2020

Study contacts

Janet C King, Ph.D.
principal investigator · UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Nov 2020. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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