Clinical research on the effectiveness of formula milk supplementation on 36 – 60 months old children

RESEARCH TOPIC

Effectiveness of formula milk supplementation on nutritional status and health of 36-60 month old children

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Preface

Malnutrition of children, especially in rural areas of Vietnam,  also a national health problem affecting the stature, height, intelligence and working capacity of Vietnamese people, is is of special concern to the Health sector and the Government [1]. One of the effective measures is to use milk supplemented with nutrients and micronutrients for young children [2], [3]. Adding micronutrients to drinking milk has been a medium-term, effective and sustainable solution to eliminate the shortage of micronutrients, contributing to reducing malnutrition rates in children in Vietnam in particular and around the world in general. These solutions are implemented through micronutrient supplementation campaigns, or by products fortified with micronutrients and minerals [4], [5].

However, the balanced and appropriate composition and content of supplemented milk is still an issue that needs to be researched.

Canned powdered formula milk – Care 100 Gold, high-energy nutritional product is produced by Nutricare Nutrition Joint Stock Company, for children 3-10 years old, helping children restore nutrition, gain weight, and increase height; support digestion; Enhance immunity, stimulate brain and vision development thanks to essential nutrients: Energy, Protein, DHA, Fat, MCT, Inulin, 13 vitamins,…

To evaluate the effectiveness of Care 100 Gold, high-energy formula milk product on nutritional status and health in children, Nutricare cooperated with the Institute of Applied Medicine to conduct a clinical trial study ” Effectiveness of formula milk supplementation on nutritional status and health of 36-60 month old children”. The study was approved by the Institute of Applied Medicine Research Ethics Board.

Research subjects

The study was conducted on children 36-60 months old in two kindergartens in Tien Hai district, Thai Binh province..

– Selection criteria:  attending school; without birth defects, mental or motor disabilities or children with chronic diseases; consent from parents/guardians.

– Exclusion criteria: sick; overweight, obesity; are using nutritional supplements, participating in other research.

Research period

The study was conducted from June 2018 to March 2019.

Research product

Care 100 Gold, high-energy nutritional product – Restores weight and health, researched and produced by Nutricare Nutrition Joint Stock Company. The product contains high-value nutritional ingredients from MCT and olive oil essence, support health restoration in children; and high levels of Calcium, Phosphorus and Vitamin D also support children’s height growth, allow them to reach maximum development needs.

Besides, Care 100 Gold also supplements Nucleotides to help protect the intestines; FOS/Inulin fiber along with B vitamins, Magnesium, Zinc support children’s healthy digestion, stimulate appetite, and absorb nutrients well; together with IgG antibodies from colostrum and the Antioxidant system (Vitamin A, C, E, Selenium) help children strengthen their immune system, building a strong resistance against pathogens. The outstanding content of DHA, Choline, Taurine, Omega 3, 6 in milk also plays a role in assisting development of  the brain, vision, and increase memory and concentration in children.

Research results

With the method of comparing height and weight according to WHO 2006 standards and some health indicators before and after intervention, the clinical trial research selected a randomized controlled group on children 36 – 60 months old after 4 months showed that:

Supplementing Care 100 Gold, high-energy nutritional product for preschool children has had a positive impact on nutritional status, health with high acceptability.:

– Weight improvement: The average weight gain was more than 0.4kg (1.5±0.4kg vs. 1.1±0.6kg) which was statistically significant  (p<0,05).

– Height increase: The average height increase was more than 0.5cm (2.6±0.8cm vs. 2.1±0.8cm) with statistical significance (p<0,05).

–Aanorexia improvement with high statistical significance (p<0.05). There was a trend toward improvement in respiratory infections and difficulty sleeping, but the numbers were not statistically significant (p>0,05).

– High acceptability of use: 91% of children drink enough milk (2 times/day for 3 months). The milk supplement campaign is supported by families, schools, government, and health care.

These results may be consistent with the hypothesis that the milk formula is suitable for use and absorption, containing energy, fat, protein, and 24 vitamins and minerals and supplemented with DHA and soluble fiber (FOS/Inulin), calculated according to the daily recommended needs of the Ministry of Health and WHO and calculated by experts to target the target audience is also a factor for parents, teachers, and officials to consider and use the product.

With the results of this research, Care 100 Gold, high-energy nutritional product is the choice to allow parents feel secure about their children’s nutritional status, enable children physical condition improvement, weight gain, and at the same time boost their health, enhance brain development and memory and concentration abilities.

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The study was published in the Vietnam Medical Journal, published by the Vietnam General Medical Association, issue 1 – August 2021.