Nutritional Impact of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Supplementation in Mothers and Children

Investigating the Impact of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Supplementation on Growth, Nutrition, Lactation, and Inflammation in Kenyan Breastfeeding Mothers and Children

Studies to date on the effects of Moringa oleifera in diabetes and anemia and animal studies that examine the utility of moringa for increased milk and litter yield are of small scale, however high-quality large-scale placebo or case-controlled clinical trials to define the impact on infants of moringa leaf powder consumption by breastfeeding mothers are lacking. Moringa has a traditional and agricultural history of use as a galactagogue; despite this and its incorporation into products such as Mother's Milk Tea© and placement on NIH LactMed Lactation Database, this property has not been studied in large clinical trials nor in populations dependent on breastmilk such as in Kisumu, Kenya. This study will improve and add to existing knowledge of moringa's effect on human breastmilk and will provide novel information on the effect of moringa supplementation to lactating mothers on their infant's intestinal inflammation and health. After trial registration, the study was modified to include infant follow up to 18 months for some measures and the children's groups were removed. Further understanding of the acceptability of moringa leaf in a staple food of porridge and more the effect of moringa supplementation on infant and childhood growth, nutrition, and intestinal and systemic inflammation may translate in the future to the cultivation of moringa at the community or household level as an effective resource for the improvement of childhood undernutrition.

Serum retinol binding protein will be used to survey vitamin A levels in infants at baseline and monthly to 3 months..

The soluble transferrin receptor-transferrin index (sTfR-F) will be used to evaluate anemia at baseline and monthly to 3 months.

Breastmilk volume will be assessed from 24 hour breast pumping or hand expression or weighing the infant before and after feeding for 24 hours.

Inclusion Criteria: lactating women at least 18 years of age and their exclusively breastfed infants within 14 days of delivery. children 6-59 months of age who eat food Exclusion Criteria: regular maternal consumption of moringa receipt and consumption of food supplementation program inability to feed orally or refusal to eat moringa or placebo porridge for infants, prematurity (<36 weeks gestational age) for infants, significant congenital disease for infants, inability to feed orally