About this trial

Thiamine (vitamin B1) is an important nutrient needed for energy metabolism, brain development, and overall health. However, low thiamine intake is a concern in countries where white rice is the main staple since it contains little thiamine. If pregnant or breastfeeding women do not eat enough thiamine, their babies may also become deficient. Severe thiamine deficiency can cause beriberi, which can be life-threatening. Milder deficiency during early life may affect brain development.

Healthy pregnant women should eat 1.4 mg thiamine daily. In a previous study in rural Cambodia, study investigators found that giving breastfeeding mothers a higher dose of thiamine (10mg per day) improved their infants' brain development at six months of age. However, supplementation began two weeks after birth. Since much of an infant's brain development occurs in utero, starting mother's supplementation earlier - in pregnancy - may provide greater benefits.

Study investigators are now conducting a study with pregnant women in Cambodia. Participants will receive either the usual amount of thiamine found in multiple micronutrient supplements or a higher dose, beginning in pregnancy and continuing until their child is 18 months old. The primary outcome is cognition at 18 months, to see whether higher thiamine intake during pregnancy and early childhood leads to measurable improvements in early brain development.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

women aged 18-45 years

12(+0) to 15(+6) weeks pregnant, based on last menstrual period

planning to breastfeed for at least 6 months

Disqualifiers

consumed thiamine-containing supplements in the preceding 3 months

planning on moving out of province in the next year

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

Multiple micronutrient supplementation
Dietary supplement
Standard of Care+ group From 12-16 weeks gestation through to 6 months postnatal, women will consume tablets orally. Starting at 6 months postnatal, supplements will then be administered directly to infants as daily liquid supplement drops. Details of supplement contents are found in the full protocol. Multiple micronutrient supplements will include the standard 15 micronutrients included in the United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (UNIMAPP MMS) formulation, which are the same found in standard micronutrient powders designed for children 6-24 months: thiamine, as well as vitamins A, D, E, K, C, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid, iodine, zinc, selenium, and copper. "Standard of Care +" and "High thiamine MMS" groups will take supplements that are identical except for thiamine content. Women: 1.4 mg thiamine Children: 0.5 mg thiamine
Multiple micronutrient supplementation
Dietary supplement
High thiamine MMS group From 12-16 weeks gestation through to 6 months postnatal, women will consume tablets orally. Starting at 6 months postnatal, supplements will then be administered directly to infants as daily liquid supplement drops. Details of supplement contents are found in the full protocol. Multiple micronutrient supplements will include the standard 15 micronutrients included in the United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (UNIMAPP MMS) formulation, which are the same found in standard micronutrient powders designed for children 6-24 months: thiamine, as well as vitamins A, D, E, K, C, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid, iodine, zinc, selenium, and copper. "Standard of Care +" and "High thiamine MMS" groups will take supplements that are identical except for thiamine content. Women: 10 mg thiamine Children: 5 mg thiamine

Treatment groups

1,972 Participants

are divided into 2 treatment groups

Group A: Standard of Care +Placebo comparator 1 intervention

Group B: High-thiamine MMSExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Mullen's Scales of Early Learning "Early Learning Composite" T-score (MSEL-ELC)

Early Learning Composite (ELC) Standard Score is derived from the sum of the age adjusted T-scores for all but the Gross Motor scales: ELC Standard Score = Visual Reception T-Score + Fine Motor T-Score + Receptive Language T-Score + Expressive Language T-Score ELC Standard Score Mean = 100 ELC Standard Score SD = 15 ELC Standard Score Range (Min/Max) = 49 to 155

Time frame

18 months postnatal

Other outcomes

1

Mullen's Scales of Early Learning "Early Learning Composite" T-score (MSEL-ELC)

Early Learning Composite (ELC) Standard Score is derived from the sum of the age adjusted T-scores for all but the Gross Motor scales: ELC Standard Score = Visual Reception T-Score + Fine Motor T-Score + Receptive Language T-Score + Expressive Language T-Score ELC Standard Score Mean = 100 ELC Standard Score SD = 15 ELC Standard Score Range (Min/Max) = 49 to 155

Time frame

2 weeks and 6 months postnatal

2

Mullen's Scales of Early Learning sub-scales

The five MSEL sub-scales are: Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Visual Reception, Receptive Language, and Expressive Language. Minimum and maximum values (Raw Scores) Gross Motor: 0 to 36 Visual Reception: 0 to 50 Fine Motor: 0 to 49 Receptive Language: 0 to 48 Expressive Language: 0 to 50 Age adjusted T-Scores are derived from the raw scores for each scale and range from: Min = 20 Max = 80 Mean T-Score = 50 (SD = 10)

Time frame

2 weeks, 6 months, and 18 months postnatal

3

Global Scales of Early Development (GSED)

Caregiver-report. World Health Organization published scoring guide available at: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/366272/WHO-MSD-GSEDpackage-v1.0-2023.8-eng.pdf

Time frame

2 weeks, 6 months, and 18 months postnatal

4

Visual Paired-Comparison (VPC) Task

Time frame

18 months postnatal

Early Life Thiamine Study

About this trial

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

Disqualifiers

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

Treatment groups

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

Secondary outcomes

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts