Published 7 November 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a1942
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a1942

Editorials

Micronutrient supplementation in pregnancy in developing countries

May have additional benefits to supplementation with iron plus folic acid

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Maternal undernutrition before and during pregnancy is linked to poor pregnancy outcomes. Maternal micronutritional deficiency can jeopardise the intrauterine growth or development of the fetus and increase perinatal morbidity and mortality by disrupting protein metabolism, gene transcription, endocrine functions, and transport of nutrients.1

About 20% and 50% of women in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, respectively, have low body mass index (<18.5), a known risk factor for poor pregnancy outcomes.2 During pregnancy, 50-70% of women in developing countries have anaemia and night blindness, a sign of vitamin A deficiency.3 In the linked randomised controlled trial (doi:10.1136/bmj.a2001), Zeng and colleagues compare the effect of antenatal supplementation with multiple micronutrients, iron and folic acid, or folic acid alone on birth weight, duration of gestation, and maternal haemoglobin in the third trimester.4

Politics, social class, social milieu, cultural practices, access to and use of health care (including perinatal care), and dietary . . . [Full text of this article]

Girish Hiremath, research fellow

1 Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA

ghirema1@jhmi.edu


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Relevant Article

Impact of micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy on birth weight, duration of gestation, and perinatal mortality in rural western China: double blind cluster randomised controlled trial
Lingxia Zeng, Yue Cheng, Shaonong Dang, Hong Yan, Michael J Dibley, Suying Chang, and Lingzhi Kong
BMJ 2008 337: a2001. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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