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Nutrients
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Effects of Micronutrient Supplementation on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes
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Effects of Micronutrient Supplementation on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Micronutrients and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 February 2025 | Viewed by 2930

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Faruk Ahmed

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Public Health, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4220, Australia
Interests: micronutrients; anaemia, iron deficiency; multiple micronutrient supplement; diet quality; vitamin D and chronic diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Children and women of reproductive age are at greater risk of micronutrient deficiency. Globally, an estimated two-thirds of non-pregnant women of reproductive age and over half of children under five years old suffer from at least one form of micronutrient deficiency. Furthermore, the magnitude of the problem is much greater in low- and middle-income countries where multiple micronutrient deficiencies often occur concurrently because of a poor-quality diet. Among the micronutrients, the most common deficiencies include iron, vitamin A, iodine, folate, and zinc. Micronutrient deficiencies are a major contributing factor to both short- and long-term poor health and suboptimal development outcomes, especially among women and children.  

While micronutrient deficiencies could be prevented through a healthy diet containing diverse foods, as well as through food fortification and supplementation with micronutrients, the burden of micronutrient deficiency exists as a major public health problem worldwide. 

The present Special Issue aims to bring together the latest research on the potential health and developmental impacts of micronutrient supplementation among women of reproductive age including pregnant women, adolescent girls, and children. Submissions of original papers, reviews, meta-analyses, and commentaries on the aforementioned issue are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Faruk Ahmed
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • micronutrient intake
  • dietary intake
  • dietary pattern
  • dietary assessment
  • fetal outcomes
  • micronutrient supplement
  • pregnant women

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 881 KiB  
Article
Serum Folate Concentrations in Exclusively Breastfed Preterm Infants Who Received No Supplementary Oral Folic Acid After Discharge: A Prospective Cohort Study
by Isabel Iglesias-Platas, Agata Sobczyńska-Malefora, Vennila Ponnusamy, Ajit Mahaveer, Kieran Voong, Amy Nichols, Karen Dockery, Nicky Holland, Shaveta Mulla, Martin J. Shearer, David Card, Lindsay J. Hall, Dominic J. Harrington and Paul Clarke
Nutrients 2024, 16(23), 4220; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234220 - 6 Dec 2024
Viewed by 516
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Adequate folate intake is required in preterm infants for rapid growth and development, but there is little evidence to back recommendations. We aimed to assess folate status in preterm infants at discharge and in early infancy, according to exposure to folate sources, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Adequate folate intake is required in preterm infants for rapid growth and development, but there is little evidence to back recommendations. We aimed to assess folate status in preterm infants at discharge and in early infancy, according to exposure to folate sources, particularly in those exclusively/predominantly breastfed. Methods: A prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study was conducted in the UK, involving 45 preterm infants <33 weeks’ gestational age (GA) exclusively/predominantly fed human milk when approaching NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) discharge. Serum folate levels were measured near NICU discharge (T1) and at 2–3 months corrected age (T2). Folate status was categorized per WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines: deficiency (<6.8 nmol/L), possible deficiency (6.8–13.4 nmol/L), normal (13.5–45.3 nmol/L), and elevated (>45.3 nmol/L). Nutritional information on feed and supplements was collected from hospital notes and maternal interviews. Results: Thirty-two infants (71%) received parenteral nutrition. Twelve infants (32%) remained exclusively breastfed at T2. No infant from the whole cohort had a serum folate concentration <13.5 nmol/L at either time point. A proportion of infants had serum folate concentrations >45.3 nmol/L: 14/45 (31%) at T1, 19/37 (42%) at T2, and 7/37 (16%) at both time points. Elevated concentrations were seen particularly in infants who received folic acid supplements or nutrition containing folic acid, such as parenteral nutrition and breastmilk fortifiers. Conclusions: Folate deficiency was not observed in this cohort; folate concentrations were high and in line with those observed in healthy term infants. Further research is needed to assess the high folate concentrations in premature babies and whether they may have any adverse clinical impact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Micronutrient Supplementation on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes)
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16 pages, 1629 KiB  
Article
Role of Low Amount of Iron Intake from Groundwater for Prevention of Anemia in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Bangladesh
by Sabuktagin Rahman, Patricia Lee, Nezam Uddin Biswas, Moududur Rahman Khan and Faruk Ahmed
Nutrients 2024, 16(17), 2844; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16172844 - 25 Aug 2024
Viewed by 2104
Abstract
In Bangladesh, groundwater, the principal source of drinking water, contains predominantly high levels of iron. Drinking groundwater is associated with good iron status in populations. Against this backdrop, iron supplementation is often associated with side effects, which reduces its intake compliance. However, the [...] Read more.
In Bangladesh, groundwater, the principal source of drinking water, contains predominantly high levels of iron. Drinking groundwater is associated with good iron status in populations. Against this backdrop, iron supplementation is often associated with side effects, which reduces its intake compliance. However, the level of iron in groundwater is not consistent, and low levels exist in many areas of the country. In the present study, we examined the role of groundwater with a low concentration of iron in the prevention of anemia in Bangladeshi children. In 2018, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Bangladesh among children aged 2–5 years (n = 122) who drank groundwater containing a low level of iron (0–<2 mg/L). The combined intake of iron was calculated from the key sources—diet, groundwater, and the simulated intake of MNPs. The intakes of iron were compared against the standard reference intake. The children’s hemoglobin levels were measured using a photometer. The combined intake of iron from diet, groundwater with low levels of iron, and the simulated consumption of low-iron MNP in children was 5.8 ± 2.0 and 6.9 ± 2.5 mg/day, comprising 193% and 169% of the Estimated Average Requirements in the 2–3-year-old and 4–5-year-old subgroups, respectively. The combined intake of bioavailable iron from dietary and low-iron groundwater was 0.42 ± 0.023 and 0.22 ± 0.019 mg/day in children exposed to groundwater concentrations of 0.8–<2.0 mg/L and 0.0–<0.8 mg/L, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean concentration of hemoglobin in the respective groups was 12.17 ± 0.94 g/dL and 11.91 ± 0.91 g/dL (p = 0.30). The combined intake of iron from diet and the low-iron groundwater was associated with maintenance of hemoglobin concentration at the non-anemic level in > 90% of the children. The findings highlight the protective influence of the low concentration of iron in the drinking groundwater against childhood anemia in Bangladesh. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Micronutrient Supplementation on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes)
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