title: Effects of fortified milk on morbidity in young children in north India: community based, randomised, double masked placebo controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of milk fortified with specific multiple micronutrients on morbidity in children compared with the same milk without fortification.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community based, double masked, individually randomised trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peri-urban settlement in north India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children (n=633) aged 1-3 randomly allocated to receive fortified milk (n=316) or control milk (n=317).
  
  
  METHODS
  One year of fortified milk providing additional 7.8 mg zinc, 9.6 mg iron, 4.2 microg selenium, 0.27 mg copper, 156 microg vitamin A, 40.2 mg vitamin C, 7.5 mg vitamin E per day (three feeds).
  
  
  METHODS
  Days with severe illnesses, incidence and prevalence of diarrhoea, and acute lower respiratory illness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study groups were comparable at baseline; compliance in the groups was similar. Mean number of episodes of diarrhoea per child was 4.46 (SD 3.8) in the intervention (fortified milk) group and 5.36 (SD 4.1) in the control group. Mean number of episodes of acute lower respiratory illness was 0.62 (SD 1.1) and 0.83 (SD 1.4), respectively. The fortified milk reduced the odds for days with severe illnesses by 15% (95% confidence interval 5% to 24%), the incidence of diarrhoea by 18% (7% to 27%), and the incidence of acute lower respiratory illness by 26% (3% to 43%). Consistently greater beneficial effects were observed in children aged < or =24 months than in older children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Milk is well accepted as a means of delivery of micronutrients. Consumption of milk fortified with specific micronutrients can significantly reduce the burden of common morbidities among preschool children, especially in the first two years of life.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  NCT00255385 [ClinicalTrials.gov].
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. ssazawal@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sazawal
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dhingra
authors.forename: Pratibha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dhingra
authors.forename: Girish
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hiremath
authors.forename: Jitendra
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Archana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Venugopal P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D046688:Child Mortality; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008892:Milk; D011379:Prognosis; D014504:Urban Health