Effect of fortification with multiple micronutrients and n–3 fatty acids on growth and cognitive performance in Indian schoolchildren: the CHAMPION (Children’s Health and Mental Performance Influenced by Optimal Nutrition) Study

Abstract

The high micronutrient treatment was more beneficial for linear growth than was the low micronutrient treatment. However, with some small differential effects, higher micronutrient concentrations were as effective as lower concentrations on cognitive performance. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00467909.

Undernutrition, fatty acid and micronutrient status in relation to cognitive performance in Indian school children: a cross-sectional study

“…The Children's Health And Mental Performance Influenced by Optimal Nutrition study was designed to investigate the efficacy of foods fortified with n-3 fatty acids and micronutrients on improving intellectual performance and growth in Indian school children (30) . The baseline data of the present study, collected in the period between November 2005 and February 2006, were used to assess the associations between height-for-age (HAZ) and weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ), Hb concentration and indicators of n-3 and n-6 fatty acid, Fe, iodine, folate and vitamin B 12 status and cognitive performance.…”

“…A total of 598 children were enrolled in the study. Details on the enrolment, including a flow chart of children recruited in the study have been published elsewhere (30) .…”

The effect of a 1-year multiple micronutrient or n-3 fatty acid fortified food intervention on morbidity in Indian school children

“…These fatty acids have been shown to be important in early development and cognition (Martinez, 1992;McCann and Ames, 2005;Eilander et al, 2007). Although we previously did not observe a significant effect of n-3 fatty acid supplements on cognition in schoolchildren (Muthayya et al, 2009b), they have been implicated in the modulation of inflammatory processes and immune function (Galli and Calder, 2009;Ratnayake and Galli, 2009). Most research efforts have focused on investigating the effect of n-3 fatty acids in relation to chronic diseases (Uauy and Castillo, 2003;Kris-Etherton et al, 2007).…”

“…The main study method has been reported elsewhere (Muthayya et al, 2009b). This study, called the CHAMPION (Children's Health And Mental Performance Influenced by Optimal Nutrition) study, was conducted between November 2005 and March 2007 among marginally nourished children attending two primary schools in Bangalore, India, which serve communities from a poor socio economic background in the vicinity.…”

“…Although a great deal of attention has focused on the high prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in India , in most circumstances, iron deficiency is just one of many MN deficiencies resulting from poor quality diets (Ramakrishnan, 2002). For example, the prevalence of various MN deficiencies among school going children reported by different studies are 40% for iron deficiency anemia (Allen et al, 2006), 80% for riboflavin deficiency, 30% for vitamin B 12 deficiency (Vaz et al, in press), 23% for vitamin A deficiency (Singh and West, 2004) and high levels of zinc deficiency (Brown et al, 2004;Muthayya et al, 2009b). Some MN have general antioxidant properties, whereas others, such as zinc and vitamin A, are directly related to child morbidity and mortality (Sazawal et al, 1998;Black 2003;Imdad et al, 2010).…”