The official study title of the FLAMINGO study is:
Feeding in Late And Moderately preterm Infants Nutrition and Growth Outcomes (FLAMINGO): a cohort study with an embedded randomised, controlled, double-blind trial in formula-fed infants to investigate the effects of a new infant formula on growth and body composition.
The FLAMINGO study aims to gain more insights in the role of early life nutrition in infant growth and development of Late And Moderately preterm (LMPT) infants.
In May 2018 the first infant was enrolled in the cohort study and in July 2018 the first subject was randomised and included in the clinical trial.
Background FLAMINGO study
The rates of premature birth are increasing, with most occurring between 32 and 36 weeks gestation – called Late and Moderately PreTerm (LMPT) infants. These infants usually weigh 1.25 – 2.5kg at birth and may have different nutritional requirements to those born full term. In later life LMPT infants are more likely to require additional educational support and develop metabolic complications or become overweight and obese as adults. These later life complications are associated with nutrition in early life.
Studies describing the longitudinal postnatal growth and development of LMPT infants are also scarce.
Study Objectives
The overall objective of the FLAMINGO cohort is to study growth and body composition outcomes in LMPT infants until 24 months corrected age and to determine any associations of exposure to breast-milk and age at introduction of solid foods.
The primary objective of the FLAMINGO study, a randomised controlled trial (RCT) embedded in the cohort, is to demonstrate that growth until 3 months corrected age in LMPT infants fed an innovative infant formula with a lipid structure closer to human milk is non-inferior to those fed a standard term formula.
To learn more about FLAMINGO, click here