Project Details

Daily supplementation of a multiple micronutrient powder improves folate but not thiamine, riboflavin or vitamin B12 status among young Laotian children: a randomized controlled trial

Guy-Marino Hinnouho, MD, PhD

Summary

Objective: To assess the effects of intervention with a daily multiple micronutrient powder (MNP) on thiamine, riboflavin, folate and B12 status among young Laotian children. Methods: Children (n=1704) aged 6-23 mo, participating in a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial were individually randomized to receive daily either MNP (containing 0.5 mg of thiamine, 0.5 mg riboflavin, 150 μg folic acid, and 0.9 μg vitamin B12 along with 11 other micronutrients) or placebo and followed for ~36 weeks. In a randomly selected sub-sample of 260 children, erythrocyte thiamine diphosphate (eTDP), plasma folate and B12 concentrations and erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficient (EGRac; riboflavin biomarker) were assessed at baseline and endline. Results: There was no treatment effect on endline eTDP concentrations (110.6 ± 8.9 nmol/L in MNP vs. 109.4 ± 8.9 nmol/L in placebo group; p=0.924), EGRac (1.46 ± 3.0 vs. 1.49 ± 3.0; p=0.184) and B12 concentrations (523.3 ± 24.6 pmol/L vs. 515.9 ± 24.8 pmol/L; p=0.678). Likewise, the prevalence of thiamine, riboflavin and B12 deficiencies did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, endline folate concentration was significantly higher in the MNP compared to the placebo group (28.2 ± 0.8 nmol/L vs 19.9 ± 0.8 nmol/L, respectively; p<0.001), and correspondingly, the prevalence of folate deficiency was significantly lower in the MNP group (1.6% vs 17.4%; p=0.015). Conclusions: Compared to a placebo, daily MNP for 9 months increased only folate but not thiamine, riboflavin or B12 status in young Laotian children.

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