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44 active trials for Iron Deficiency

Oral Iron Versus Oral Iron Plus a Web-based Behavioral Intervention in Young Children (IRONCHILD)

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) affects nearly half a million young children in the United States. Most children take liquid iron medicine by mouth for at least 3 months. However, some children take longer to get better with this medicine. This study is trying to compare different ways of giving iron medicine to young children. For young children in the US, the main cause of IDA is nutritional, or not having enough iron in the foods they eat. This often happens when kids drink too much cow milk and/or not eating enough foods that have a lot of iron. Iron deficiency is most common in children ages 1 to 4 years of age, during a time that is important for brain development. More severe and long-lasting IDA is associated with worse brain development outcomes. That is why researchers want to understand the fastest way for kids with IDA to get better. Standard treatment is oral iron medicine for 3 to 6 months. Many children do not take their iron medicine the full amount of time needed because of side effects like abdominal discomfort, nausea, constipation, and bad taste. Different factors can contribute to patients not completing their IDA therapy. Many families do not understand how important it is to treat IDA or do not have the motivation to continue the medication. This study will offer different methods for treating IDA, including a different method to taking the oral iron therapy. This new method gives oral iron by increasing a family's understanding and motivation. Another research study that interviewed families of young children with IDA found ways that helped the patients to continue their therapy. Using that information, a website called IRONCHILD was created to help motivate parents to get their children to continue the oral iron medicine. Research studies that compare these different IDA treatment methods in young children are needed and could have benefits to short-term clinical and long-term brain development. However, we do not know whether families of young children with IDA will be willing to participate in this type of study that has different treatment methods (oral iron therapy and oral iron therapy with a web-based adherence intervention). The goal of this clinical research study is to learn which of the two methods of care will be the best way for children with iron deficiency anemia to receive therapy.

Start: May 2021
The PROTEIN Project

New advances in information computer technology and artificial intelligence (AI) offer the possibility to create a personalized tool and support system for healthy living and eating, and this is the principal objective of the PROTEIN Project (an EU-funded consortium? Horizon 2020). In order to obtain information on the acceptability, usability and its effectiveness at facilitating behaviour change of the application within the home and store. A pilot trial will be conducted in participants who are overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2) and a separate group of participants who consume a low quality diet (low in fruit and vegetable intake) and/or have a nutrition deficiency (specifically iron-deficiency anaemia). During this study the subjects will be asked to attend the lab (or remotely due to covid restrictions) at the beginning of the study for baseline measurements and instructions on how to use / download the mobile application. Participants will have their anthropometrics measured (including height/ weight/ waist: hip circumference). The PROTEIN application will collect self-reported data from the user, which includes: user profile input, dietary and fluid intake, daily physical activity (such as step count), biochemistry, sleep and chewing (in- meal behaviour). Information on how users will interact with the app, which screens they use, how many log ons and how often data is inputted will also be collected. Throughout the trial, the participants will be contacted via the application or by the researchers to request feedback on their progress and to encourage reporting of any issues. Health care professionals will also be recruited to test the expert dashboard of the PROTEIN app. Through this system they will be able to provide nutrition/ physical activity advice directly to their patients and input their relevant biochemical results (such as haemoglobin for anaemic patients).

Start: June 2021
Feasibility or Oral Lactoferrin to Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia in Obese Pregnancy

Maternal iron deficiency anemia is associated with maternal and infant mortality, spontaneous preterm birth, maternal postpartum hemorrhage, and neurocognitive defects in the neonate. Therefore, preventing maternal iron deficiency anemia in at-risk women is critical. Obese pregnant women have greater systemic inflammation and circulating hepcidin levels compared to nonobese pregnant women. This phenotype implies obese pregnant women have decreased iron bioavailability and may be less responsive to oral iron supplementation because hepcidin is a negative regulator of dietary iron absorption, suggesting alternative interventions are needed to optimize their iron status in pregnancy. There is increasing evidence that consuming the oral bovine lactoferrin (bLf) can enhance dietary iron absorption by promoting an anti-inflammatory immune response and hepcidin suppression, indicating this intervention may be beneficial to pregnant obese women at risk for iron deficiency anemia. The primary goal of this study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of this low-cost, safe, innovative approach to optimizing maternal iron status in obese women at risk of iron deficiency anemia (Hb 11.0 - 12.0 g/dL (first trimester)/10.5 - 11.5 g/dL (second trimester) for non-Black women and 10.2 - 11.2 g/dL (first trimester)/9.7 -- 10.7 g/dL (second trimester) for Black women) from 15-20 weeks of gestation (WG) until the time of labor. The investigators will explore effects on maternal and neonatal iron status and Hb and changes to maternal systemic inflammation and circulating hepcidin. This study is an essential first step toward evaluating if daily oral bLf is an efficacious, safe, inexpensive, and scalable clinical strategy for the prevention of maternal iron deficiency anemia and its related complications in at-risk women.

Start: July 2021