Iron, folic acid, and vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy: Did pregnant Chilean women meet the recommendations during the COVID pandemic?

backgroundAntenatal micronutrient supplementation has been defined as a priority for Low-and Middle-income Countries (LMICs). However, it is also relevant to assess its performance in middle-high income countries, such as Chile, particularly given the post-pandemic food insecurity context.

aimTo assess the use (frequency and doses) of daily recommended supplementation (iron (15-30 mg), folic acid (FA) (400-800 μg/day), and vitamin (VD) (400 IU)) in a sample of Chilean pregnant women.

methodsIn 1, 507 pregnant women selected from public health care registries of the Southeast area of Santiago-Chile, we collected maternal, supplement use, sociodemographic, and nutritional information at the first (<15 weeks), second (24-28 weeks), and third trimesters (32-36 weeks) of gestation by using a researcher administer online questionnaire.

resultsThe median (IQR) age of women was 29 (25-33) years. Pre-conceptional supplementation was rare (24%), but it reached >93% in the first trimester; thereafter supplement use decreased to 79% in the second and 84% in the third trimesters, particularly in women with lower income (p<0.05), lower education (p<0.05), and with excess weight (p<0.05). Use of iron supplements in the first trimester was rare (<21%) as well as the use of VD supplements across pregnancy (<31%). Most FA (70%) and iron (80%) supplement users, exceeded the recommended daily dose while ~40% of VD users took less than the recommended dose.

conclusionsIn this sample of Chilean women, timely initiation of FA, iron, and VD supplementation was low and doses were not aligned with the recommendations. Strengthening adherence and quality of micronutrient supplementation programs delivered through public primary care could benefit particularly the most vulnerable women.