Giving pregnant women who aren't getting enough nutrients a balanced supplement of protein and energy may help prevent complications like having a very small baby or a stillbirth.

Giving pregnant women in developing countries extra protein and energy supplements doesn't seem to change how often babies are born too early or die shortly after birth. While it might help the baby grow better and prevent stillbirths, it doesn't change when the baby is born or save newborns from dying.

Giving pregnant women in developing countries a balanced supplement with extra energy and protein helps their babies be born heavier and lowers the chance of the baby being born too small.

Giving pregnant women in lower-income countries extra protein and calorie supplements might cut the chance of babies being born dead by about 60%. While the results look promising, researchers note that more high-quality studies are needed to be completely sure.

Giving pregnant women in low-income areas a daily balanced energy and protein supplement, instead of just iron and folic acid, helps their babies be born about 50 grams heavier. This small but important weight gain can help prevent babies from being too small at birth.

Giving pregnant women extra energy and protein supplements doesn't make their babies too big or cause serious pregnancy problems like miscarriage or stillbirth. In fact, it's just as safe as the usual iron and folic acid pills that pregnant women are already taking.