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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04848129

Genetic Correlates of Wasting: a Pilot Study With Children Attending a Tertiary Feeding Clinic

This is a pilot study of children attending the Glasgow feeding clinic (GFC) which looks after a range of children with severe feeding problems who commonly have low appetite and extreme thinness. The investigators want to find out if these children are more likely to carry genetic markers of thinness.

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Key information

Conditions

Undernutrition Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Behavior Behavior, Animal Body Weight Eating Disorders Feeding Behavior Feeding and Eating Disorders Malnutrition Mental Disorders Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Digestive Thinness Underweight

Age range

1 year–16 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

New Lister building, Royal Infirmary

Glasgow, Scotland, G31 2ER, United Kingdom

About this study

Thinness occurs as a result of undereating, but it is not always clear why an individual child has not eaten enough, or how to get them to eat more. There is a need to understand the child characteristics that predispose to undereating and the how these operate, in order to design more effective treatment and prevention programmes. The Glasgow feeding clinic (GFC) looks after a range of children with severe feeding problems who commonly have low appetite and extreme thinness. The investigators want to find out if these children are more likely to carry genetic markers of thinness.

The investigators will invite up to 60 families to complete a standardised online questionnaire (ICFET) about their child's eating behaviour and collect a saliva sample from their child, sent by post. The investigators will identify how many genetic markers for thinness each carries and relate this to their ICFET appetite scores and existing growth measurements as well as their feeding history.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

All participants currently attending Glasgow Feeding Clinic or assessed there within the last 2 years. NB current ethical application is restricted to children aged 1-7 years, but the investigators plan to apply to extend that to age 16 years.

Exclusion criteria

Sample not to be collected with 2 weeks of any symptoms or recent contact with Covid 19

Treatment and study plan

Feeding clinic

Behavioral

These children have all attended a multidisciplinary feeding clinic with severe food refusal and were commonly receiving tube feeding or supplement drinks. The clinic helps children progress onto a normal oral diet

Other names: tube weaning

Primary outcomes

  1. Genotype risk score

    Time frame: Within 1-2 months of recruitment

    This the number of risk polymorphisms present for each child ranges from 0-20. a high score suggests more thinness

Secondary outcomes

  1. Eating behaviour score

    Time frame: At recruitment or up to 2 months before

    Measure of appetite and food refusal assessed using standard questionnaire (International Complementary Feeding Evaluation Tool (ICFET) Score from 1-5, hihger score suggests greater avidity

  2. Body mass index

    Time frame: Up to two years before genetic test

    weight (kg)/Height (m) squared

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Glasgow

Other

Collaborators

  • University of Stirling

Registry information

Official study title

What Makes Children Thin? Genetic and Behavioural Correlates of Wasting: a Pilot Study With Children Attending a Tertiary Feeding Clinic

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Apr 19, 2021
Registry last updated
Apr 7, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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