Efficacy of Vitamin A in Fortified Extruded Rice in School Children
Condition: Vitamin A Deficiency
MeSH terms: Night Blindness; Vitamin A Deficiency
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Early Phase 1

Summary: 
      The project aims to evaluate the potential impact triple fortified rice grains, mixed into
      natural rice grains, can have on vitamin A status if fed to school children in Southern
      Thailand. Within a 60 day intervention study, changes in vitamin A status in young children
      fed the fortified rice compared to children consuming non-fortified rice will be assessed.
    

Detailed description: 
      Iron, zinc and vitamin A deficiencies are particularly common among children and young women
      in developing countries of South and Southeast Asia. Rice is a common staple for a large part
      of these sub-regions of Asia. In spite of a wide range of rice varieties eaten, rice is eaten
      by all age groups and is one of the first few foods used as complementary food for infants.

      Fe fortification of rice using a method of heat extrusion and micronized ferric pyrophosphate
      (FePP) as iron fortificant has shown to be efficacious in increasing iron stores and reducing
      the prevalence of iron deficiency in Indian school children. Subsequent extrusion trials have
      shown promising results with respect to color and vitamin A (VA) stability when rice grains
      were triple fortified with Fe, Zn and vitamin A.

      Preliminary data in the region of Satun, South Thailand, have shown that zinc and vitamin A
      intakes are low. Biochemical indicators have confirmed zinc deficiency and suboptimal vitamin
      A status in 1/3 of school aged children. Since rice is the main staple food in this area,
      rice triple fortified with Fe, VA and Zn is a promising strategy to combat micronutrient
      deficiencies in children.

      The aim of this study is to demonstrate whether triple fortified rice has an impact on
      vitamin A status of children. The study will be conducted in school children (8 to 12 years
      old). The children will be randomized to either receive a daily lunch rice meal prepared from
      fortified rice (the triple fortified rice grains will be mixed into natural rice at a ratio
      of 1:50) or from non-fortified rice for 60 days. As serum retinol concentration, the most
      widely used indicator for the assessment of vitamin A status, is not a very reliable
      indicator due to homeostatic control and the influence of infection, we will in addition use
      the tracer methodology using dilution of stable isotopes with which total body vitamin A pool
      size will be estimated prior to the intervention and after 60 days of the intervention..
    

Intervention name(s): Triple fortified extruded tice (Fe, Zn and vitamin A)
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): Triple fortified extruded rice (Fe, Zn and vitamin A)will be mix at ratio of 1:50 with normal rice then give to children at school lunch meal for 60 days.
Intervention MeSH terms: Vitamin A
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator)
Primary purpose: Basic Science
Keywords: vitamin A deficiency