The impact of lipid-based nutrient supplement provision to pregnant women on newborn size in rural Malawi: a randomized controlled trial.

Study answer

What this study found

Overall, SQ-LNS did not significantly increase mean birth size in this setting. In the SQ-LNS arm, mean birth weight was 3000 g (SD 447) and mean newborn length was 49.9 cm (SD 2.1), but neither differed significantly across groups (birth weight P=0.258; newborn length P=0.104). Newborn MUAC was slightly higher with SQ-LNS than IFA (10.7 vs 10.5 cm, P=0.024), and the reported adjusted difference vs IFA was 0.2 (0.1, 0.3) mm higher (P=0.006), but key neonatal outcomes such as low birth weight, preterm birth, small-for-gestational age, stunting, underweight, and small head circumference were…

Study & population

Randomized controlled trial conducted in rural Malawi among pregnant women with uncomplicated pregnancies attending antenatal care.

Intervention

The active intervention was a daily 20 g sachet of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement (SQ-LNS) providing 118 kcal, taken orally by mixing with a small amount of food from enrollment until delivery.

Key limitation

The trial was conducted in a single rural Malawian setting, which limits generalizability.

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Original abstract