Role of Lipid-Based Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation in Underweight Women

Maternal undernutrition and low birth weight babies are frequently reported in developing nations like Pakistan. Pre-eclampsia and its marked association with fetal growth restriction because of spiral arteries remodeling and trophoblastic invasion lower the nutritional supply to growing fetuses added by maternal undernutrition. The present study witnessed the effects of lipid-based nutritional supplements for pregnant and lactating women LNS-PLW on the maternal and fetal outcomes of pre-eclampsia.

The study enrolled sixty underweight preeclamptic women and randomized them into two study Groups from April 2018 to December 2019. Participants received routine drugs for pre-eclampsia and Iron and Folic Acid (60mg, 400 μg) daily, while those of Group-2 (n=30) received one sachet of Lipid-based nutritional supplement for pregnant and lactating women LNS-PLW in addition daily till delivery. The study then measured the birth weight, gestational age, head circumference, and birth length of babies.

It observed-

A significant improvement in the birth weight, gestational age, head circumference, and birth length in babies of Group-2 women. 

Adding Lipid-based nutritional supplements for pregnant and lactating women LNS-LPW enhances the birth outcome in underweight women with pre-eclampsia.

This study shows that Prenatal supplementation of Lipid-based nutritional supplements in pregnant and lactating women LNS-PLW can improve birth weight, gestational age, length as well as head circumference of babies of underweight preeclamptic women.

Source: Pak J Med Sci. 2022 Jan-Feb;38(1):219-226. doi: 10.12669/pjms.38.1.4396. PMID: 35035429; PMCID: PMC8713215.