WHO recommendations on antenatal nutrition

An update on multiple micronutrient supplements

Bibliographic Data

ID21881548
AuthorsÖzge Tunçalp (0000-0002-5370-682X, World Health Organization, corresponding author), Lisa M Rogers (0000-0002-3516-5812, World Health Organization), Theresa Anne Lawrie (0000-0002-5500-8590, World Health Organization), Maria Barreix (0000-0003-3613-9672, World Health Organization), Juan Pablo Peña-Rosas (0000-0002-6737-9831, World Health Organization), Maurice Bucagu (0000-0002-7285-0456, World Health Organization), James P Neilson (Cochrane), James Neilson (Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group, Liverpool, UK), Olufemi T Oladapo (0000-0002-3371-5892, World Health Organization)
Year2020
Volume5
Issue7
Pagese003375
Publication date2020-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBMJ Global Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908
PublisherBMJ (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003375
PMID32732247
OpenAlexW3045667212
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited4

Optimal maternal nutrition, including adequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals, is important for fetal development and longer term impacts on the child’s health. Although pregnant women are considered to be at increased risk of micronutrient deficiencies due to increased maternal and fetal nutritional needs, there is some debate around how best to achieve an optimal diet with adequate and balanced intakes of the necessary nutrients during the antenatal period and before pregnancy.1 The most common micronutrient deficiency in pregnancy that is known to impact maternal health is iron deficiency, due to increased iron demands. Iron deficiency is a common cause of anaemia, which is estimated to affect 40% of pregnancies globally, highest in South-East Asia (49%), Africa (46%) and the Eastern Mediterranean (41%) and lower prevalence in Western Pacific (33%), the Americas (26%) and Europe (27%).2 Thus, iron supplementation has been recommended by WHO for all women during pregnancy since the 1950s. Current global nutrition targets call for a 50% reduction in anaemia among women of reproductive age by 2025, and the prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15–49 years, by pregnancy status, has now been proposed as an indicator for Sustainable Development Goal 2.3 In addition to routine iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation, various other interventions have been proposed to increase the micronutrient intake before and during pregnancy, including food-based approaches. The 2016 WHO recommendations on routine antenatal care (ANC) for pregnant women and adolescent girls provide comprehensive guidance on the practice, organisation and delivery of ANC and prioritise woman-centred care to facilitate a positive pregnancy experience.4 Recognising that ANC provides a strategic platform for important healthcare functions including health promotion and disease prevention, 14 out of the 49 recommendations in the WHO ANC guideline relate to nutrition. Antenatal micronutrient interventions recommended in

Anemia · Biology · Environmental health · Food fortification · Iron deficiency · Micronutrient · Micronutrient deficiency · Population · Pregnancy · Psychological intervention · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Folate and B Vitamins Research · Iron Metabolism and Disorders · Medicine · Pediatrics

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