Mitchell, N.J.Kumi, J.Aleser, M.Elmore, S.E.Rychlik, K.A.Zychowski, K.E.Romoser, A.A.Phillips, T.D.Ankrah, N.-A.2018-11-232018-11-232014-08DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0093Vol. 91(4), 2014, pp. 777–785http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh/handle/123456789/25724Recently, an association between childhood growth stunting and aflatoxin (AF) exposure has been identified. In Ghana, homemade nutritional supplements often consist of AF-prone commodities. In this study, children were enrolled in a clinical intervention trial to determine the safety and efficacy of Uniform Particle Size NovaSil (UPSN), a refined calcium montmorillonite known to be safe in adults. Participants ingested 0.75 or 1.5 g UPSN or 1.5 g calcium carbonate placebo per day for 14 days. Hematological and serum biochemistry parameters in the UPSN groups were not significantly different from the placebo-controlled group. Importantly, there were no adverse events attributable to UPSN treatment. A significant reduction in urinary metabolite (AFM1) was observed in the high-dose group compared with placebo. Results indicate that UPSN is safe for children at doses up to 1.5 g/day for a period of 2 weeks and can reduce exposure to AFs, resulting in increased quality and efficacy of contaminated foods. Copyright © 2014 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.enShort-Term SafetyCalciumMontmorillonite ClayUniform Particle Size NovaSil (UPSN)ChildrenArticle