The Study
Prenatal fortified balanced energy-protein supplementation and birth outcomes in rural Burkina Faso: A randomized controlled efficacy trial
This study is a randomized controlled trial, which is one of the best ways to test if a treatment works. It shows that giving pregnant women extra nutrition supplements in rural Burkina Faso likely helps babies be born slightly bigger and stay in the womb a little longer, but it didn't significantly change how many babies were small for their age.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Researchers tested if giving pregnant women extra protein and energy supplements in rural Africa helps babies be born healthier compared to just giving them iron and folic acid pills.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 573 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1While the weight and length gains are small, they are statistically significant and clinically meaningful for preventing low birth weight and supporting early development in resource-limited settings.
- 2Babies were about 50 grams heavier, born 1.4 days later, and measured slightly longer.
- 3Fewer babies were born underweight, but the number of babies too small for their age didn't significantly change.
- 4No harmful side effects were found.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
PLoS Medicine
Year
2022
Authors
B. de Kok, L. Toe, G. Hanley-Cook, Alemayehu Argaw, M. Ouédraogo, Anderson Compaoré, Katrien Vanslambrouck, T. Dailey-Chwalibóg, R. Ganaba, P. Kolsteren, L. Huybregts, C. Lachat
Related Content
Claims (7)
Giving pregnant women extra protein and calories early in their pregnancy helps lower the chances of having a baby with serious health risks.
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 actually lower the chance of having a smaller-than-expected baby compared to just taking standard iron and folic acid pills. The study found the difference was too small to be meaningful, meaning this specific supplement isn't a reliable way to prevent babies from being born too small.
Giving pregnant women in rural areas a daily supplement with extra energy and protein can help them carry their babies about 1.4 days longer than just taking iron and folic acid. This extra time in the womb helps the baby's organs develop better and might lower the chances of the baby being born too small.
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.
Giving pregnant women a special balanced supplement with extra energy and protein instead of just iron and folic acid can lower the chance of having a small baby by about 4%. This helps keep newborns healthier and gives them a better start in life, especially in areas where food might be scarce.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.