Nutritional supplement reduces prevalence of low birth weight babies

MISAME III - Ghent University research in Burkina Faso: fortified food supplements increase the chance of a healthier baby Every parent around the globe wishes for a healthy baby. However, during their pregnancies, women in low and middle income countries face higher risks of nutritional deficiencies. This often leads to adverse outcomes for their newborns. Recent figures indicate that 20 million babies are born low birth weight, 14 million are born preterm, and 23 million are born small-for-gestational-age. These newborns face a higher risk of death, are prone to infections and have an increased risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. At present, the COVID-19 pandemic, persistent droughts and the conflict in Ukraine have put millions more women and children at risk of malnutrition, due to global food supply shortage and sharp spikes in food prices. It is thus of critical importance to mitigate this unacceptable and inequitable global health burden.