Malnutrition Clinical Trials

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.