Abbott-backed study finds supplements boost muscle and bone development in undernourished Indian children

A recent study funded by Abbott reveals that nutritional supplements can significantly enhance muscle and bone health in undernourished Indian children, offering promising insights for tackling pervasive child undernutrition.

A new Abbott-backed study suggests that nutritional supplements can do more than help children put on height and weight: they may also support healthier gains in muscle and bone, two measures that are often overlooked when families and clinicians assess growth. The findings come as child undernutrition remains a significant concern in India, where the latest National Family Health Survey data show that 29.3% of children under five are stunted and 31.8% are underweight.

The trial followed 223 Indian children aged roughly three to seven years who had picky eating habits and were undernourished or at risk of becoming so. Over six months, all of the families received dietary counselling, while about half of the children also took two daily servings of PediaSure, an Abbott paediatric oral nutritional supplement. According to Abbott, children who received the supplement had about 2.4 times greater height gain and nearly 15% higher lean mass than those who received counselling alone.

Researchers also reported stronger catch-up growth in the supplemented group, with gains in weight-for-age and height-for-age percentiles that were up to four times higher over the study period. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DXA, a scan used to measure body composition, showed improvements in lean mass and bone health without a corresponding increase in excess fat. The study also found a rise in bone mineral density and bone mineral content, suggesting that the benefits extended beyond simple changes in size.

The broader evidence base points in the same direction. A review published in a medical journal found that oral nutritional supplementation can improve growth outcomes in children with undernutrition or at nutritional risk, while separate analyses of India’s National Family Health Survey data show that undernutrition has improved over the past three decades but remains widespread, particularly in rural areas. Experts involved in the Abbott study said the results strengthen the case for earlier, targeted nutrition support when children are not growing as expected.