An interventional study of high caloric oral nutritional supplements and nutritional education in Malnutrition, Child, Malnourishment and Nutritional Deficiency, sponsored by Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Recruiting at 13 sites in China. Open to participants aged 1 Year to 3 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-18.
Sponsored by Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the effect of high caloric oral nutritional supplements on body proportion, weight, linear growth pattern, neuropsychological development level and related health aspects (gut health, immune function, quality of life, etc.) in participants aged 1 to 3 years who are malnourished (underweight and wasting),as well as to evaluate the safety of applying high caloric oral nutritional supplements. Participants will receive nutritional education and daily high caloric oral nutritional supplements(experimental group),or will receive nutritional education and dietary instruction(control group).This study may provide data to support the development of clinical intervention strategies for malnourished Chinese children.
Background:Growth and development is an important indicator of children's health and nutritional status, and nutrition is the most important material basis for growth and development. The prevention and treatment of malnutrition in children can be achieved by choosing whole nutritional formulas for special medical purposes as oral nutritional supplements (ONS), which has been confirmed by some overseas clinical studies to promote the growth benefit of malnourished children, but no multicenter clinical study has been conducted in China on the effect of ONS on the improvement of growth and development of malnourished Chinese children.
Objective and significance: To investigate the effects of high caloric ONS on body proportion, weight, linear growth pattern, neuropsychological development level and related health aspects (gut health, immune function, quality of life, etc.) in children, as well as to evaluate the safety of applying high caloric ONS, and to provide data to support the development of clinical intervention strategies for malnourished Chinese children.
Research design:A multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial design method is used to randomize children who meet the inclusion criteria into the experimental and control groups using a competitive entry method. The test group is given nutritional education and high caloric ONS (which can supplement 30% of the energy requirement), while the control group is given nutritional education and dietary instruction.Participants are followed up at 0, 1,2, 3, 6, and 12 months of enrollment. The investigators will collect dietary diaries, physical indicators, developmental quotient scores, quality of life measures, gut health, infectious disease-related questionnaires and safety indicators (blood biochemical indicators, urine routine) from children in both groups to comprehensively assess the effect of high caloric ONS intervention on physical growth, neuropsychological development levels and related aspects (gut health, immune function, quality of life, etc.) of malnourished children, as well as to conduct safety analyses.
Sample size:According to similar studies to date, a total of 200 people are recommended for this study.
Statistical analysis: Statistical analysis is performed using SAS 9.4. For continuous variables (height, weight, BMI-Z score, DQ score, etc.), statistical descriptions are performed using mean and standard deviation (conforming to normal distribution) or median and interquartile range (IQR); for categorical variables, statistical descriptions are performed using frequency and percentage; for the main efficacy indicators, mixed-effects models are used for efficacy evaluation indicators according to the principle of adjusted intentionality analysis (mITT). For the safety evaluation, the number, frequency and incidence of adverse events and reactions are calculated, and the positive abnormal changes of laboratory biochemical indexes such as blood routine, urine routine, liver and kidney function are counted. p value \< 0.05 is considered statistically significant.
Ethical matters and data protection: The guardians of the children participating in the study will sign an informed consent form. This study is approved by the local ethics committee. Patients' names will be abbreviated and study data will be assigned a code which will then be provided to the investigator. Parental authorization for patient health information will remain in effect until the study is completed. After that, private information will be removed from the study records by the researcher.
167 studies on the registry are indexed under Child Nutrition Disorders; 36 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 200 is below the median of 402 across 132 interventional studies indexed under Child Nutrition Disorders.
Browse Child Nutrition Disorders studies →Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University is the lead sponsor of 35 studies on the registry; 13 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
BMI (body mass index)
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants aged 1 to 3 years who are malnourished (underweight and wasting). They will receive nutritional education,dietary instruction and daily high caloric oral nutritional supplements for 12 months.
Dietary Supplement: high caloric oral nutritional supplements · Behavioral: nutritional education · Behavioral: dietary guidance
Participants aged 1 to 3 years who are malnourished (underweight and wasting). They will receive nutrition education and dietary instruction.
Behavioral: nutritional education · Behavioral: dietary guidance
High caloric oral nutritional supplements (which can supplement 30% of the energy requirement) is given daily, and the recommended amount of energy and protein is referred to the 2013 Chinese Dietary Nutrient Reference Intake Table. At 6 months of enrollment, participants will be asked to evaluate whether to continue feeding according to the experimental group protocol or to stop to ensure proper nutritional intake.
Also known as: high-energy total nutrition formula
After enrollment,health education information is pushed approximately every 4 weeks through the WeChat platform or/and short text messages to parents.
At follow-up visits at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6,and 12 months after enrollment, a professionally trained pediatrician give the participant's guardian dietary instructions appropriate to the age stage and physical condition of the child. Each session lasts approximately 10 minutes.
BMI for Age Z-score(BAZ)
Trained research assistants or health care practitioners obtain weight in kilograms and height in centimeters (mean of 3 consecutive measurements). Height and weight will be combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2.Then, the BAZ is calculated using WHO2011v3.2.2 software.
Time frame: at 6 months of enrollment
Dietary Diary
Participants provide a dietary diary over an average two-day period through a WeChat app each visit. The app prompts participants to record and estimate details of all meals and snacks they consumed, especially formula used in the study.
Time frame: at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months of enrollment
BMI for Age Z-score(BAZ)
Trained research assistants or health care practitioners obtain weight in kilograms and height in centimeters (mean of 3 consecutive measurements). Height and weight will be combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2.Then, the BAZ is calculated using WHO2011v3.2.2 software.
Time frame: at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 12 months of enrollment
Weight for Age Z-score(WAZ)
Trained research assistants or health care practitioners obtain weight in kilograms using a standardized approach. Weight is measured using a precision digital scale or mechanical scale(mean of 3 consecutive measurements). Then, the WAZ is calculated using WHO2011v3.2.2 software.
Time frame: at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months of enrollment
Height for Age Z-score(HAZ)
Trained research assistants or health care practitioners obtain height in centimeters using a standardized approach. Height is measured with a calibrated stadiometer(mean of 3 consecutive measurements). Then, the HAZ is calculated using WHO2011v3.2.2 software.
Time frame: at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months of enrollment
Gesell Developmental Scale Test
Mainly assesses participants in 5 areas:adaptive behavior, gross motor, fine motor, language behavior,personal-social behavior, the evaluation finally calculates the developmental quotient (DQ) of each area. Diagnostic criteria: DQ is more than or equal to 86 is normal, DQ is marginal between 76 and 85, DQ is mild mental retardation between 55 and 75, DQ is moderate mental retardation between 40 and 54, DQ is severe mental retardation between 25 and 39, and DQ is less than or equal to 25 is extremely severe mental retardation.
Time frame: at 0, 6, and 12 months of enrollment
Infants - Junior High School Students Social Competence Test (S-M test)
The scale, derived from the revised version of the Japanese Social Competence test (S-M test) and revised by a Chinese researcher, is applicable to children from 6 months of age to 14 years of age and includes 132 items in 6 sections with 7 starting ages, which are filled in item by item by parents or daily caregivers according to the appropriate age, with ≥10 being normal.
Time frame: at 0, 6, and 12 months of enrollment
Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)
The quality of life of the participants is assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory.The Infant Scale or Generic Core Scales is completed according to age.Scores are transformed on a scale from 0 to 100,with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Time frame: at 0, 6, and 12 months of enrollment
the Chinese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF)
The quality of life of parents is assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF.The WHOQOL-BREF, comprises 26 items, two general items and 24 others, across the following four domains: physical (7 items), psychological (6 items), social (3 items), and environmental (8 items).Calculate the average score of all items in each domain, converted into a score of 4 to 20 or 0 to100 by two algorithms,with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Time frame: at 0, 6 and 12 months of enrollment
Gut Health Questionnaire
A questionnaire is used to understand gut health, including entries on the Bristol Stool Scale (to assess stool status), the average number of bowel movements per day, and the frequency of bloating and abdominal pain.
Time frame: at 0, 1，3, 6, and 12 months of enrollment
Infectious Diseases Related Questionnaire
A infectious disease-related questionnaire is used to understand immune function, including the number and duration of upper respiratory tract infections, infectious diarrhea.
Time frame: at 0, 1，3, 6, and 12 months of enrollment
Blood Routine Test
Blood routine test is completed at 0, 6 and 12 months of enrollment for safety analysis.Includes the following parameters:white blood cell count,red blood cell count,hemoglobin,mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration,platelet,standard deviation in red cell distribution width,coefficient variation of red blood cell volume distribution width,platelet distribution width,mean platelet volume,platelet larger cell ratio,thrombocytocrit,neutrophil ratio,lymphocyte ratio,monocyte ratio,eosinophil ratio,basophil ratio,neutrophil count,lymphocyte count,monocyte count,eosinophil count,basophil count.
Time frame: at 0, 6 and 12 months of enrollment
Liver Function Test
Liver function test is completed at 0, 6 and 12 months of enrollment for safety analysis.Includes the following parameters:total protein,albumin,globulin,alanineamino transferase,aspartate amino transferase,bilirubin,direct bilirubin,total bile acid,alkaline phosphatase,amma-glutamyl transpeptidase.
Time frame: at 0, 6 and 12 months of enrollment
Renal Function Test
Renal function test is completed at 0, 6 and 12 months of enrollment for safety analysis.Includes the following parameters:creatinine,blood urea nitrogen.
Time frame: at 0, 6 and 12 months of enrollment
Urine Routine Test
Urine routine test is completed at 0, 6 and 12 months of enrollment for safety analysis.Includes the following parameters:urinary bilirubin,urinary ketone bodies,blood,urinary white blood cells,urinary red blood cells,urinary sugar,urinary protein,urinary cast.
Time frame: at 0, 6 and 12 months of enrollment
Plan to share: No — Data is confidential during the study.
Ran from Jun 2024 to primary completion in Mar 2026, 20 months.
Of 81 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Child Nutrition Disorders, half reached primary completion within 19 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 36. This study's 20 months is close to that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 84 studies reached it within 19 months; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 40.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University