SynthesisThe American journal of clinical nutrition2025
Effect of prenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation compared with iron and folic acid supplementation on size at birth and subsequent growth through 24 mo of age: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Effect of prenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation compared with iron and folic acid supplementation on size at birth and subsequent growth through 24 mo of age: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Untargeted and targeted fortified balanced energy-protein (BEP) dietary supplementation during pregnancy and birth outcomes: a cluster-randomised effectiveness trial in rural Bangladesh.BMJ global health · 2026Trial
- Effects of prenatal early food and micronutrient supplementations on body size and cardiometabolic risk factors in the 15-year-old offspring - the MINIMat randomised trial.The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia · 2026Article
- Undernutrition in Infants Aged Under Six Months: A Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Study in Two Governorates in Yemen.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Maternal Health and Sociodemographic Characteristics Influence Infant Growth to 24 Months in the Tunza Mwana Cohort: A Prospective Cohort Study.Maternal & child nutrition · 2026Article
- Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
28 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPrenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS), in comparison to iron and folic acid supplementation (IFA), improves pregnancy outcomes, but less is known about their effect on infant growth.
objectivesWe conducted a systematic review of trials comparing maternal MMS to IFA and assessed the effect on infants' anthropometric outcomes at birth, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 mo of age.
methodsWe included trials from a Cochrane review and new studies identified through systematic literature searches in 3 databases. We calculated the pooled effect estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a generic inverse variance method, with fixed (primary analysis) and random-effects, and assessed subgroup differences.
resultsThe 19 included trials showed that MMS, compared to IFA, led to significantly greater length and weight from birth to 6 mo, head circumference (HC) from birth to 12 mo, and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) through 3 mo. Infants born to pregnant women consuming MMS were longer at birth (mean difference: 0.05 cm; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.08 cm) and had higher length-for-age z-score at birth (0.09; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.12), 3 mo (0.09; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.12), and 6 mo (0.04; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.07) of age but not thereafter. MMS resulted in significantly higher weight-for-age z-score and HC-for-age z-score until 6 mo and higher weight-for-length z-score and MUAC-for-age z-score until 3 mo. MMS reduced risk of stunting (risk ratio [RR]: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.82, 0.91), underweight (RR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.81, 0.90), small HC (RR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.90), and low MUAC (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.82, 0.99) at 3 mo and wasting (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.96) at birth. For some outcomes, effects were greater when MMS was continued postpartum and in settings with higher prevalence of low birthweight.
conclusionsPrenatal MMS improves size at birth and subsequent infant growth through 6 mo of age but not thereafter. These results strengthen the evidence on MMS benefits beyond birth outcomes. This study was registered in PROSPERO as CRD42024551864.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.