Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41092983›Full record

Trial reportThe American journal of clinical nutrition2025

Prenatal and preschool micronutrient supplementation and behavioral outcomes in school-aged children in Nepal-a cohort study.

Parul Christian, Eleonor Zavala, Kristen M Hurley, Subarna K Khatry, Steven C LeClerq, Lee Shu Fune Wu, James M Tielsch, Joanne Katz, Laura E Murray-Kolb

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report 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 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Parul ChristianDepartment of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States. Electronic address: pchrist1@jhu.edu.
Eleonor ZavalaDepartment of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Kristen M HurleyDepartment of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Subarna K KhatryNepal Nutrition Intervention Project, Sarlahi, Nepal.
Steven C LeClerqNepal Nutrition Intervention Project, Sarlahi, Nepal.
Lee Shu Fune WuDepartment of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
James M TielschDepartment of Global Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington DC, United States.
Joanne KatzDepartment of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Laura E Murray-KolbDepartment of Nutrition Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.

Funding

ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION IMPACT ON CHILD MORTALITY--NEPALR01HD038753 · NICHD · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI TIELSCH, JAMES M · 2000 to 2003
$3.5M
Antenatal and preschool iron and zinc use and cognitionR01HD050254 · NICHD · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI CHRISTIAN, PARUL · 2006 to 2008
$1.4M
NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD038753NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD050254
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA few studies examined behavioral difficulties among children in low-income countries or the influence of early life nutrition interventions.

objectivesWe examined the effect of micronutrient supplementation done as part of 2 randomized trials during pregnancy or in early preschool age on behavioral outcomes among school-aged children in rural Nepal.

methodsChildren between 7 and 9 y of age were enrolled in a cohort follow-up study in which the Conners Rating Scale-Revised was administered to their parents and teachers. These children were offspring of participants in a cluster-randomized trial during pregnancy receiving daily iron-folic acid, iron-folic acid + zinc, or multiple micronutrients, compared with a control (all groups received vitamin A). These children between 12 and 35 mo of age also received daily placebo, iron-folic acid, zinc alone, or iron-folic acid + zinc in a separate randomized trial. Factor analysis identified 2 attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-related behaviors for parent scores (hyperactivity/oppositional and inattention) and 2 for teacher scores (hyperactivity and inattention). Using mixed-effects linear regression analysis, we analyzed the effect of early life supplementation on these behavioral domains in school children (n = 1255).

resultsExposure to prenatal iron-folic acid resulted in lower oppositionality/hyperactivity and inattention scores in children assessed via parental ratings in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. Iron-folic acid with zinc reversed the positive effect seen with iron-folic acid. Multiple micronutrient supplementation resulted in a lower oppositionality and/or hyperactivity score, using parent and teacher ratings in the adjusted analysis. All 3 supplement groups in the preschool trial reduced child inattention when assessed by parents. Based on teacher ratings, groups that had received iron-folic acid alone or with zinc during preschool had reduced scores of hyperactivity in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses.

conclusionsOur study shows potential benefit of early life exposure to micronutrient supplementation for child-related behavior outcomes in a South Asian setting where inadequate diets and nutrition deficiencies exist.

Indexed as

Attention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityChild BehaviorDietary SupplementsMicronutrientsPrenatal Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaChildChild, PreschoolCohort StudiesFemaleFolic AcidFollow-Up StudiesHumansIronMaleNepalPregnancyFolic AcidIronMicronutrientsZincchild behaviornutritionprenatalpreschoolsupplementation

Identifiers

PMID41092983
PMCPMC12710460

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.