title: Beneficial effect of cyproheptadine on body mass index in undernourished children: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cyproheptadine hydrochloride (CH) is a first-generation antihistamine which is used as an appetite stimulant. This study was designed to identify the role of CH therapy on weight gain, linear growth and body mass index in children with mild to moderate undernutrition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-nine patients were enrolled. The present randomized, double-blinded controlled trial included 77 evaluable patients, aged 24-64 months with undernutrition. The patients were randomized to receive cyproheptadine with multivitamin, or multivitamin over a period of four weeks. The weight, height and body mass index were measured at the baseline, four weeks after intervention and four weeks after discontinuation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant higher body mass index was observed among CH-treated patients after 8 weeks intervention with cyproheptadine compared with the control group (P<0.041). Mean weight gain after eight weeks was 0.11 kg in the control group and 0.60 kg in the CH group. There were no significant differences in changes of weight and height velocity across the study between CH-treated and control group at the end of study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, cyproheptadine promotes increase in body mass index in children with mild to moderate undernutrition after four weeks treatment.
authors.affiliation: Neonatalogy Research Center, ; Department of Pediatrics.
authors.forename: Khadijehsadat
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Najib
authors.affiliation: Allergy Research Center.
authors.forename: Mozhgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moghtaderi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Karamizadeh
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fallahzadeh
keywords: Body Mass Index; Children; Clinical Trial; Cyproheptadine; Malnutrition; Weight Gain