Maternal micronutrient supplementation is able to reduce preterm births and low birth weights, according to a study involving over 44,000 Bangladeshi pregnancies. Asian Scientist (Jan. 4, 2015) ??Although maternal micronutrient supplementation does not reduce infant mortality, it results in significant reductions in preterm birth and low birth weight. The study, involving over 44,000 pregnant women in Bangladesh, has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Multiple micronutrient deficiencies are common among pregnant women in resource-poor regions of the world, especially in southern Asia. Coexisting with poor maternal nutrition across the region are excessive burdens of low birth weight, preterm birth, small size for gestational age, stillbirth, infant mortality and maternal mortality. Gestational micronutrient deficiencies may contribute to avoidable adverse birth outcomes. However, data for effects of antenatal (before birth) multiple micronutrient supplementation on longer-term infant mortality are sparse for guiding policies in southern Asia.

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