Impact of Spirulina Corn Soy Blend on Iron Deficient Children Aged 6–23 Months in Ndhiwa Sub-County Kenya: A Randomized Controlled Trial
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Date
2021
Authors
Othoo, Dorothy Apondi
Ochola, Sophie
Kuria, Elizabeth
Kimiywe, Judith
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer Nature
Abstract
Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) remains high in Kenya despite interventions. Twenty-seven percent of
children aged 6 months-14 years are anemic, with low iron intake (7%) among children aged 6–23 months.
Standard food interventions involve a corn soy blend (CSB), which is limited in micronutrients, and fortifiers are not
accessible locally. Moreover, the use of spirulina as a strategy for mitigating IDA has not been adequately
documented. This study compared the impact of a spirulina corn soy blend (SCSB) on IDA among children aged 6–
23 months.
Methods: A total of 240 children with IDA were randomly assigned to study groups at a ratio of 1:1:1 through
lotteries, and caregivers and research assistants were blinded to group assignment. Dry-take-home SCSB, CSB and
placebo flour (1.7 kg) was given to caregivers to prepare porridges using a flour water ratio of 1:4, producing 600
ml–700 ml of porridge to feed children 200 ml of porridge three times a day for 6 months. Impact was assessed as
plasma hematocrit at baseline and after the study. Blood drawing, preparation and analysis were performed in
accordance with approved procedures by the EthicsResearchCommittee. Monthly follow-up and data collection on
dietary intake, anthropometry, morbidity and infant feeding practices were performed using questionnaires. Relative
risk, magnitude of change and log-rank tests were used to compare the impact of the intervention, and significant
differences were determined at P < 0.05.
Results: The survival probabilities for children consuming SCSB were significantly higher than those consuming CSB
(log-rank-X2 = 0.978; CI: 0.954–1.033, P = 0.001) and the placebo (log-rankX2 = 0.971; CI: 0.943–0.984, P = 0.0001).
Children consuming SCSB had a mean recovery time of 8 days (CI: 7–12 days) compared to those consuming CSB
(19 days; CI: 20–23 days) and placebo (33 days; CI: 3 1–35 days). The recovery rate was 15.4 per 100 persons per day
for children who consumed SCSB as opposed to 4.6 and 1.8 per 100 persons per day for those who consumed CSB
and the placebo, respectively.
Conclusion: Management of IDA with SCSB compared to CSB and the placebo led to faster reversal and large
numbers of recoveries from IDA. The recovery rates were above the World Health Organizations (WHO) minimums
standards for food interventions. Efforts to realize high and faster recoveries from IDA should be heightened by
fortifying CSB with spirulina powder.
Description
article
Keywords
Iron deficient children 6–23 months, Hematocrit. Randomized controlled trial, Intervention, Spirulina corn soy blend (SCSB)
Citation
Othoo, D. A., Ochola, S., Kuria, E., & Kimiywe, J. (2021). Impact of Spirulina corn soy blend on Iron deficient children aged 6–23 months in Ndhiwa Sub-County Kenya: a randomized controlled trial. BMC nutrition, 7(1), 1-12.