WINGS

One of the randomized controlled clinical trials supported under the All Children Thriving call of Grand Challenges India initiative is the “Linear Growth study” subsequently renamed as WINGS study; Women and Infants Integrated Growth Study. The study is aimed at achieving optimal growth and development in infants and children living in low resource settings in India, through the integrated delivery of a package of evidence-based interventions endorsed in national programs and by the World Health Organization (WHO). This individually randomized factorial design trial is assessing the impact of a package of health, nutrition, psychosocial care and environmental interventions delivered throughout the pre-and peri-conception period, pregnancy and first 2 years of life on both weight and length and stunting at 2 years of age. The recruitment of target beneficiaries i.e 13,500 married women between 18 to 30 years of age in the pre-and peri-conception period have been recruited in the study. The recruited women are randomized to the intervention and control groups and are being followed up for intended outcomes. This trial offers a great opportunity to learn about vertically and horizontally linked intervention delivery that provides continuity of care from pre-pregnancy through early childhood. The learnings may aid in determining the future design of health systems. Furthermore, the evidence drawn from the study could address important questions and may also form the basis of ideas for the National Nutrition Mission (NNM) in India.