These groundbreaking results come from the world’s first rigorously designed, large-scale clinical trial investigating the health effects of a milk powder in young children aged one to four years.
New Zealand Milk, a world leader in milk products that enhance children’s health and nutrition, funded and supported the extensive landmark trial. Involving over 600 children supplemented over a 12-month period, it investigated the benefits of fortifying children’s milk with, or without, a complex bundle of vitamins and minerals.
The results of the trial were first unveiled during the World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in Paris last month by lead researcher Professor Sunil Sazawal, associate research professor at the Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA and director at the Center of Micronutrient Research, Annamalai University, India, who is widely regarded as an expert in child nutrition.
Prof. Sazawal said: "This is the first time a study of this size has been conducted to evaluate the effects of specific fortifications of milk on growth and morbidity in young children. The study is unique and important in two particular aspects. Firstly, in terms of overall high quality design, which included adequate sample size, block randomization, complete double-blinding and conservative evaluation with both the groups receiving the same basic milk powder and therefore calories and protein. It sets new benchmarks for proving the health claims made on children’s milk.
"Secondly, it has provided clinical evidence that particular fortified milks can greatly impact on prevention and anemia, burden of common acute illnesses in childhood and their growth. These findings will have importance for child health globally."
The results showed that children consuming Anchor 1+ with Nutri-care were 22 percent better protected against diarrhea and 18 percent better protected against acute lower respiratory infections and 32 percent better protected against severe respiratory infections.
Anchor 1+ with Nutri-care was 3.42 times more effective in preventing the development of anemia (both moderate and severe anemia). Children were better protected against the development of moderate anemia by 74 percent and against the development of severe anemia by 87 percent.
Anchor 1+ with Nutri-care was shown to: significantly increase iron stores and improve iron status with a 71 percent reduction in prevalence of sub-optimal iron status and an 86 percent reduction in the number of children with highly depleted iron stores; significantly improve growth – the observed growth patterns for weight and height became closer to the growth charts published by National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), USA, widely regarded as the international standard for children.
All results reported have been made in comparison with children consuming the control milk powder (the same milk without Nutri-care).
The study marks a milestone in the milk industry by being the first clinical trial of its scale and design in growing up milk powders for young children. Unlike most other trials on milk, this study adhered strictly to internationally accepted criteria used for rigorous clinical human health research trials.
Conducted on 636 children aged 12 to 36 months, it was designed as a randomized, controlled, double-blind (RCBD) trial – a study design that is acknowledged to provide a very high level of evidence when evaluating the efficacy of an intervention or a product. RCBD studies are considered the gold standard in intervention trials for health benefits.
