Effects of Pelagic Small Fish Powder on Nutritional Outcomes Among Children Aged 6-24 Months: A Quasi-Experimental Trial

Abstract Background The first 1000 days of a child’s life are a unique period of opportunity to lay the foundations for optimum health, growth, and cognitive development. After exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding is required to meet nutritional needs. This study aimed to observe the efficacy of a ready-to-use fish product (RUFP) on nutritional outcomes of children aged 6 to 24 months in two communities in southeast coastal Bangladesh. Methods An experimental design was employed in which an intervention group (n = 30) received RUFP in a proportionate combination of 5g anchovy (olua, Coilia dussumieri ), sardine (chapila, Sardinella longiceps ), and thryssa (faissa, Thryssa dussumieri ) (40:30:30) for four months, while the control group (n = 27) received usual care. Anthropometric measures and biochemical markers (retinol, vitamin B12, ferritin, and iron), as well as secondary outcomes (hemoglobin, calcium, and random blood sugar (RBS)), were considered to assess differences between baseline and the 16-week post-intervention assessment. Results Mean (SD) age at baseline was 13.8 (4.4) months in the control group and 12.1 (3.7 months in the intervention group. Retinol levels in the intervention group increased significantly (25.9 ± 3.5 to 35.2 ± 2.2 µg/dl), surpassing the increase in the control group (p  0.05). However, no significant changes have been observed in serum iron, vitamin B12, or calcium status (except in the control group). Conclusions These findings suggest that the RUFP may enhance the nutritional quality of complementary foods for children, thereby contributing to improved child health outcomes. However, given the limited sample size, these results should be interpreted with caution, and further studies with larger populations are warranted to confirm the observed effects. Trial registration: This trial is registered in the ISRCTN Registry (Registration ID: ISRCTN34731061, registration date 14.02.2025).