Mitigating Aflatoxin Exposure to Improve Child Growth in Eastern Kenya (MAICE)

The case for the association between aflatoxin exposure in children and stunting is still out. While the few studies that have looked at the association between stunting and aflatoxin exposure have found surprisingly large effects, the results remain inconclusive. The objectives of this study are to: (i) study the impact of reduced aflatoxin exposure on child growth and (ii) identify a package of storage technologies that will reduce aflatoxin contamination. We propose a three arm randomized control trial in which households with children under 2 years of age will be randomly allocated to an intervention group in which a package of storage technology and best practices are provided; an intervention in which maize is tested and contaminated maize is swapped; and a control group in which information on the health effects of aflatoxin and strategies to mitigate it are provided. Aflatoxin levels and stunting rates at baseline and follow up will be compared across the intervention groups to answer the following questions: Does reduced aflatoxin consumption, holding all else constant, improve child growth? What is the effectiveness of a package of low-cost, post-harvest and storage technologies and practices for reducing aflatoxin contamination in household maize stores?