Growth and Nutritional Impact of Small Fish Powder Supplementation in Infants

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of supplementing the dietsof infants aged 6‐7 months with small fish powder on growth outcomes in the Garoua 1stHealth District, Northern Cameroon. A total of 240 infants were enrolled and randomlyassigned to receive either small fish powder or a millet flour control for six months.The primary endpoint was growth effectiveness, defined as achieving a height‐for‐ageZ‐score ≥ ‐1.5 after six months. Secondary outcomes included prevention of acutemalnutrition, weight gain, mid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC) gain, morbidity frequency,and intervention failure rate. Study procedures comprised weekly ration distribution,anthropometric measurements, hemoglobin and malaria testing, and parental nutritionaleducation. Data were analyzed using SPSS and XLSTAT, with statistical significance set atp < 0.05.