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Lipid-based nutrient supplement increases the birth size of infants of primiparous women in Ghana

The International Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements Project has developed a small-quantity (20 g/d) lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) for pregnant and lactating women. This study evaluated the effects of prenatal LNS supplementation on fetal growth. In a community-based, partially double-blind, individually randomized controlled trial, 1320 pregnant women received iron-folic acid (IFA), or 1–2 Recommended Dietary Allowances of 18 micronutrients, including iron (MMN), or LNS with the same micronutrients as the MMN group, plus 4 minerals and macronutrients contributing 118 kcal (LNS) daily until delivery. Fetal growth was compared across groups by using intention-to-treat analysis. Among primiparous women the LNS group had greater mean birth length than did the IFA group; similar differences were found when comparing the LNS and MMN groups. Prenatal LNS supplementation can improve fetal growth among vulnerable women in Ghana, particularly primiparous women.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Adu-Afarwuah et al. February 2015
  • West and Central Africa
  • Research
  • Scientific publication