This programme effectiveness study responds to the need for evidence of the effect on birth weight of switching from iron-folic acid supplementation to multiple micronutrient supplementation as part of routine antenatal care in Ethiopia. A 2019 meta-analysis reported a mean increase of 35 g in birth weight among newborns of women who took multiple micronutrient supplements in pregnancy compared with those who took iron-folic acid. Responding to that evidence, the government of Ethiopia decided to implement a 21-district pilot of the use of multiple micronutrient supplementation in routine antenatal care and requested an evaluation of implementation outcomes, including on birth weight.
