Mother Screening for Relapse Using Mid-upper Arm Circumference Among Children Recovered From Severe Acute Malnutrition

What this Trial Is About

This research investigates training caregivers to screen children who have recovered from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) using mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) tapes. The study aims to find out if this training can reduce relapse risk to moderate or severe acute malnutrition and improve early detection times. It also evaluates how acceptable this screening method is to both caregivers and clinics. The trial involves children aged 6 to 54 months who recently recovered from uncomplicated SAM treated in outpatient programs. Participants are randomized into three groups: one receives usual care with no caregiver MUAC training and monthly clinic visits for 3 months plus a follow-up at 6 months; the second group receives caregiver MUAC screening training with weekly home screening plus the usual monthly clinic visits and a 6-month follow-up; the third group also receives caregiver MUAC screening training but with a reduced clinic visit schedule, attending only at 3 and 6 months post enrollment. Caregivers are counseled to bring their child to the clinic if their child's MUAC falls below 11.5 cm, indicating relapse. During the 6 months following enrollment, caregivers will screen their children weekly at home if trained, and all children will be assessed clinically at 3 and 6 months for outcomes. Researchers will measure relapse incidence, time to relapse detection, and anthropometric outcomes. Surveys will assess caregiver acceptance of MUAC training. The study plans to enroll 1200 caregiver-child pairs to better understand if caregiver screening improves relapse detection and child health after SAM recovery.

Mother Screening for Relapse Using Mid-upper Arm Circumference Among Children Recovered From Severe Acute Malnutrition (Full Scale Trial)