Research suggests prenatal multi-micronutrient supplements lower infant death

A new study reveals that taking prenatal supplements with multiple micronutrients reduces the risk of birthing small vulnerable newborns by 27% compared to consuming folic acid and iron alone. The research suggests that supplements are as beneficial as standard care, especially in low- and middle-income countries. 

Lead researcher Dongqing Wang, an assistant professor at George Mason’s College of Public Health, US, says: “Small vulnerable newborn types may have distinct mechanisms, health impacts, and intervention strategies.”

“This work is the first to examine the effects of prenatal multiple micronutrient supplements and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements on the emerging outcomes of small vulnerable newborns.”

Beneficial for highly vulnerable newborns

Wang claims that the multi-micronutrient supplement regime, which includes iron and folic acid, lowers the risk of mothers birthing “small vulnerable newborn types” that often result in infant death.

Investigating this outcome, his team carried out a meta-analysis of 16 different studies covering individual participant data in low-middle income countries, published in The Lancet Global Health.

Prenatal maternal mass supplements reduced the risk of five of nine small vulnerable newborn types.This analysis revealed prenatal maternal mass supplements reduced the risk of five of nine small vulnerable newborn types.

“WHO currently recommends the use of multi-micronutrient supplement in the context of rigorous research, and there have been increasing calls to shift the standard of antenatal care from iron and folic acid to multiple micronutrient supplements,” reads the paper.

“Prenatal lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) are nutritional supplements that provide not only micronutrients but also energy and essential fatty acids. Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation (SQ-LNS) uses LNSs that provide around 120 kcal per day and are designed for the prevention of undernutrition.”

“Systematic reviews and meta-analyses showed that prenatal LNSs increase birthweight and reduce the risk of a newborn being preterm-small for gestational age.”

In recent news, the Council for Responsible Nutrition and the US Pharmacopeia expressed “grave concerns” over the accuracy of recent research claiming prenatal vitamins don’t contain enough of the nutrients needed for healthy pregnancy, with some even containing high levels of toxic metals.

Meanwhile, Gnosis by Lesaffre’s Hy-Folic supplement is twice as bioavailable as folic acid and utilizes Quatrefolic, consisting of (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid (5-MTHF) and glucosamine salt as its active form of folate.