Fortified balanced energy‑protein supplement for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to support baby growth in southern Nepal
Official title: Balanced Energy Protein Supplement in Early Lactation on Infant Growth in Southern Nepal
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11159542 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Daily fortified food given to pregnant and/or breastfeeding women in Nepal to help their babies grow better during the first six months of life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $612,145 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD109385-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11159542 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant women and/or breastfeeding mothers in southern Nepal, especially those with low nutritional status, and their infants in the first six months of life are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant or breastfeeding, infants older than six months, or mothers with adequate nutrition are unlikely to benefit from this specific supplementation approach.
What this research studies
If you join, you or your baby may receive a daily ready-to-use fortified balanced energy‑protein (BEP) supplement during pregnancy, lactation, or both. The project compares groups who receive the supplement at different times to track infant growth through six months and to monitor mothers' nutritional status. Researchers will collect breast milk, blood, and stool samples from mothers and infants in a biospecimen sub-study to look at nutrients, inflammation, milk composition, and the gut microbiome. The work is based in southern Nepal and run by an international team from Johns Hopkins.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the supplementation could improve mothers' nutrition and reduce early infant growth faltering, lowering the risk of stunting and its long-term effects.
How similar studies have gone: Fortified supplements in pregnancy have shown benefits for birth outcomes in some prior trials, but giving this specific BEP supplement during lactation is less well studied and somewhat novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Erchick, Daniel Joseph — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Erchick, Daniel Joseph
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.