- A new randomized controlled trial shows Abbott’s PediaSure® Plus helps undernourished children achieve height growth, greater muscle and other health improvements.
- PediaSure Plus with PeptiGro System – the new formulation used in the study – is now available in the Philippines to support children’s optimal growth
MANILA, Philippines, 15 July 2025 – A new study from global healthcare leader Abbott shows that when PediaSure® Plus, along with dietary counseling, is given to undernourished children they had two times height improvement and approximately 50% greater gain in lean mass compared to those who only received dietary counseling over an eight month period.[1] Lean mass includes muscle, bones, organs and everything in the body except body fat. The children also had other health benefits like fewer sick days, higher energy levels and better nutritional intake.
The first-of-its-kind study included 330 children aged 2 to 5 years old who are undernourished or at-risk of being undernourished, all of whom were below a healthy height for age—or at least mildly stunted. For eight months, the families and children in the study received dietary counseling, and the children either drank two servings of PediaSure® Plus a day or continued their habitual milk intake. Growth and other health assessments were taken throughout the study.
The children who drank PediaSure® Plus two times a day improved their growth and demonstrated other significant health benefits after eight months, including:
- Quality growth: In addition to height and lean mass improvements, the children developed longer and stronger bones. They had longer leg length and 40% more gain in bone density, with no extra fat gain.
- Enhanced immunity: 37% fewer sick days and 37% fewer missed school days.
- Better appetite and improved nutritional status: Higher parent-reported appetite as well as better vitamin D and K status, which are critical for bone development, and calcium absorption and utilization.
- Higher energy levels: More energetic, as reported by parents.
“This study emphasizes the profound impact of nutrition on growth, development and overall health,” Dr. Mandy Ow, senior clinical scientist at Abbott’s nutrition research & development center in Singapore. ”Our research demonstrates that addressing undernutrition with nutrition supplements can support a child’s development beyond just visible height by promoting overall quality growth.”
Decades of research have demonstrated that nutrition supplements that provide a complete blend of macronutrients and micronutrients are effective in promoting growth in children with undernutrition.[1]
”Proper nutrition is the foundation for growth and health, and can support children through critical growth periods, said Dr. Jennifer Olay, a pediatric gastroenterologist and nutrition expert. ”Nutrition during early childhood, especially in the first five years, supports physical growth, and builds strength, resilience and immunity.”
Supporting Growth with Science-Based Nutrition
To help address growth in undernourished children in the Philippines, Abbott introduced its new PediaSure Plus with PeptiGro System – the formulation used in the study. The PeptiGro System is a unique combination of important nutrients, including natural vitamin K2, arginine, and casein phosphopeptides (CPPs), which helps support optimal growth among children.
”Abbott has been pioneering nutrition research and science-based nutrition solutions with the goal of improving the health and wellbeing of people around the world—including in the Philippines, ” said Dr. Jose Rodolfo Dimaano Jr., medical director for Abbott’s nutrition business in Asia Pacific. ”With the introduction of PediaSure® Plus with the upgraded PeptiGro system, we aim to deliver the right nutrients and novel ingredients – like CPPs – to help Filipino children reach their growth potential.”
PediaSure Plus with PeptiGro System is now available in leading supermarkets, drugstores, as well as online retail stores on Lazada and Shopee. Parents are encouraged to consult with their pediatricians and visit the Alagang Abbott website for more information on the science of PediaSure Plus with PeptiGro System: family.abbott/ph-en/pediasure/home.html
About the Study: Efficacy of long-term oral nutritional supplementation with dietary counseling on growth, body composition and bone mineralization in children with or at risk for undernutrition: a randomized controlled trial was published online in Nutrition Journal on 11 July 2025. This manuscript highlights findings of The Supporting Pediatric Growth and Health Outcomes (SPROUT) study, which was a randomized, controlled trial conducted in Vietnam. It included 330 children, aged 24-60 months old, who were undernourished or at-risk of undernutrition. The children were randomized into two groups. Half of the children received two servings of PediaSure daily for 120 days and the other half continued their habitual milk intake. Both groups – and their families – received dietary counseling. Growth and health outcomes were measured throughout the study.
[1] Ow, M.Y.L., Tran, N.T., Berde, Y. et al. Efficacy of long-term oral nutritional supplementation with dietary counseling on growth, body composition and bone mineralization in children with or at risk for undernutrition: a randomized controlled trial. Nutr J 24, 110 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01133-5.
[2] Zhang Z, et al. Nutrients. (2021) 13:3036. DOI: 10.3390/nu13093036
