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McDonald CM, Wessells KR, Stewart CP, Dewey KG, de Pee S, Rana R, Hafeez-Ur-Rehman H, Mwangi MN, Hess SY. Perinatal intervention strategies providing food with micronutrients to pregnant and breastfeeding women in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review. MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION 2024:e13681. [PMID: 38949186 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
In resource-constrained settings, pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls (PBW/G) are particularly vulnerable to undernutrition. Micronutrient-fortified balanced energy protein (BEP) supplementation may be provided to boost maternal nutritional status and improve birth and infant outcomes. We conducted a scoping review of the published literature to determine the impact of BEP and other related nutrition interventions that provided fortified food or cash along with a minimum of 3 micronutrients on maternal, birth, and infant/child outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. We conducted a PubMed search using pre-defined keywords and controlled vocabulary search terms. All titles and abstracts were reviewed for eligibility by two independent reviewers, and data were extracted according to outcome type. We identified 149 eligible research articles that reported on a total of 21 trials and/or programme evaluations which assessed the health impact of one or more products (fortified lipid-based nutrient supplement [LNS, n = 12], fortified blended flours [n = 5], milk-based beverages [n = 2], and local food/snacks [n = 3]) that provided 118-750 kcal/day and varying levels of protein and micronutrients. Only one of these programme evaluations assessed the impact of the provision of cash and fortified food. Effects on maternal outcomes such as gestational weight gain and duration of gestation were promising but inconsistent. Birth outcomes were reported in 15 studies, and the effects on birthweight and birth length were generally positive. Seven studies demonstrated sustained benefits on infant and child growth out of the 15 studies that reported at least one of these outcomes, although data were sparse. Additional research is needed to investigate issues of dose, cost-effectiveness, and incorporation into multi-component interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M McDonald
- Departments of Pediatrics, and Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - K Ryan Wessells
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Christine P Stewart
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Kathryn G Dewey
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Saskia de Pee
- Nutrition Division, World Food Programme HQ, Rome, Italy
| | - Ritu Rana
- Nutrition Division, World Food Programme HQ, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Sonja Y Hess
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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Ciulei MA, Smith ER, Perumal N, Jakazi CS, Sudfeld CR, Gernand AD. Nutritious Supplemental Foods for Pregnant Women from Food Insecure Settings: Types, Nutritional Composition, and Relationships to Health Outcomes. Curr Dev Nutr 2023; 7:100094. [PMID: 37250388 PMCID: PMC10209485 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.100094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that the provision of nutritious supplemental foods to undernourished pregnant women can improve maternal and infant outcomes. However, comparing and synthesizing the evidence base is complicated by differences in interventions and products and the use of ambiguous terminology. We aimed to define 2 common types of nutritious supplemental foods used in pregnancy, balanced energy-protein (BEP) supplements and lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS), and to review the evidence supporting each via a narrative review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMAs). Information about the nutritional composition of the food supplements and their effects on maternal and infant outcomes was abstracted. Five SRMAs (n = 20 trials) evaluated the effect of BEP compared with no BEP/control (comparison group commonly received iron and folic acid [IFA]). BEP foods/products ranged in calories (118-1017 kcals), protein (3-50 g), fat (6-57 g), and micronutrient content. Overall, maternal BEP improved birth weight and reduced the risk of stillbirth and small for gestational age when compared with no BEP/control in pregnancy. Three SRMAs (n = 5 trials) evaluated the effect of LNS compared with IFA or multiple micronutrients (MMNs). The LNS interventions comprised small- and large-quantity LNS that ranged in calories (118-746 kcals), protein (3-21 g), fat (10-53 g), and micronutrient content. LNS compared with IFA increased pregnancy duration, birth weight, and birth length and reduced the risk of small for gestational age and infant stunting; however, no beneficial effect of LNS was identified when compared with MMN. Despite heterogeneity in the nutritional composition of BEP supplements, the evidence suggests that in nutritionally at-risk populations, these products may improve birth outcomes in pregnant women. The evidence is limited but promising when LNS is compared with IFA in improving maternal and infant outcomes. Overall, BEP, compared with MMN or LNS, are key areas that have not been studied and deserve attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela A. Ciulei
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Emily R. Smith
- Department of Global Health, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nandita Perumal
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Chioniso S. Jakazi
- Department of Global Health, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Christopher R. Sudfeld
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Alison D. Gernand
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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Argaw A, de Kok B, Toe LC, Hanley-Cook G, Dailey-Chwalibóg T, Ouédraogo M, Compaoré A, Vanslambrouck K, Ganaba R, Kolsteren P, Lachat C, Huybregts L. Fortified balanced energy-protein supplementation during pregnancy and lactation and infant growth in rural Burkina Faso: A 2 × 2 factorial individually randomized controlled trial. PLoS Med 2023; 20:e1004186. [PMID: 36745684 PMCID: PMC9943012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optimal nutrition is crucial during the critical period of the first 1,000 days from conception to 2 years after birth. Prenatal and postnatal supplementation of mothers with multimicronutrient-fortified balanced energy-protein (BEP) supplements is a potential nutritional intervention. However, evidence on the long-term effects of BEP supplementation on child growth is inconsistent. We evaluated the efficacy of daily fortified BEP supplementation during pregnancy and lactation on infant growth in rural Burkina Faso. METHODS AND FINDINGS A 2 × 2 factorial individually randomized controlled trial (MISAME-III) was implemented in 6 health center catchment areas in Houndé district under the Hauts-Bassins region. From October 2019 to December 2020, 1,897 pregnant women aged 15 to 40 years with gestational age <21 completed weeks were enrolled. Women were randomly assigned to the prenatal intervention arms receiving either fortified BEP supplements and iron-folic acid (IFA) tablets (i.e., intervention) or IFA alone (i.e., control), which is the standard of care during pregnancy. The same women were concurrently randomized to receive either of the postnatal intervention, which comprised fortified BEP supplementation during the first 6 months postpartum in combination with IFA for the first 6 weeks (i.e., intervention), or the postnatal control, which comprised IFA alone for 6 weeks postpartum (i.e., control). Supplements were provided by trained village-based project workers under direct observation during daily home visits. We previously reported the effect of prenatal BEP supplementation on birth outcomes. The primary postnatal study outcome was length-for-age z-score (LAZ) at 6 months of age. Secondary outcomes were anthropometric indices of growth (weight-for length and weight-for-age z-scores, and arm and head circumferences) and nutritional status (prevalence rates of stunting, wasting, underweight, anemia, and hemoglobin concentration) at 6 months. Additionally, the longitudinal prevalence of common childhood morbidities, incidence of wasting, number of months of exclusive breastfeeding, and trajectories of anthropometric indices from birth to 12 months were evaluated. Prenatal BEP supplementation resulted in a significantly higher LAZ (0.11 standard deviation (SD), 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.01 to 0.21], p = 0.032) and lower stunting prevalence (-3.18 percentage points (pp), 95% CI [-5.86 to -0.51], p = 0.020) at 6 months of age, whereas the postnatal BEP supplementation did not have statistically significant effects on LAZ or stunting at 6 months. On the other hand, postnatal BEP supplementation did modestly improve the rate of monthly LAZ increment during the first 12 months postpartum (0.01 z-score/month, 95% CI [0.00 to 0.02], p = 0.030), whereas no differences in growth trajectories were detected between the prenatal study arms. Furthermore, except for the trend towards a lower prevalence of underweight found for the prenatal BEP intervention at 6 months (-2.74 pp, 95% CI [-5.65 to 1.17], p = 0.065), no other secondary outcome was significantly affected by the pre- or postnatal BEP supplementation. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that the benefits obtained from prenatal BEP supplementation on size at birth are sustained during infancy in terms of linear growth. Maternal BEP supplementation during lactation may lead to a slightly better linear growth towards the second half of infancy. These findings suggest that BEP supplementation during pregnancy can contribute to the efforts to reduce the high burden of child growth faltering in low- and middle-income countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03533712.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alemayehu Argaw
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Population and Family Health, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Brenda de Kok
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laeticia Celine Toe
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Unité Nutrition et Maladies Métaboliques, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Giles Hanley-Cook
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Trenton Dailey-Chwalibóg
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Katrien Vanslambrouck
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Patrick Kolsteren
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Carl Lachat
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieven Huybregts
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, DC, United States of America
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