Impact of a newly designed food complement (food multimix) on nutritional status and birth outcomes of pregnant women in the Gauteng province of South Africa

Food recipes developed from commonly consumed local traditional foods were packaged as 100 g powdered soup products at an average cost per 100 g of 0.26 USD. This randomised controlled feeding trial involved 120 eligible pregnant women aged between 21-35 years (median gestational age = 18 weeks) assigned to intervention (100 g/d FMM soup + daily diet) or control (100 g/d local commercially sold soup + daily diet, placebo) group from enrolment to term (average, 20 weeks of feeding). Maternal energy uptake increased from 6.67 MJ/day (66% of DRI) to 7.96 MJ (79% of DRI) in the intervention group compared to 7.11 MJ (70% of DRI) in the control group. Intake of FMM + daily diet also provided 19.51 g/d additional protein and total intake of 1085 of DRI. Additional Fe of 11.78 mg/d increased intake from 7.91 mg/d (27% of DRI) to 19.51 mg/d (73% of DRI). Calcium intake increased to 52% of DRI, Mg from 79% to 118% of DRI, Cu to 85% of DRI and Zn from 74 to 103% of DRI. Folate intake increased from 33 to 56% of DRI, B12 to 118% of DRI, vitamin C to 49% of DRI and vitamin A to 164% of DRI. Haematological changes from baseline to the end of the 3rd trimester included a non-significant increase in red cell mass in the intervention group. Significant improvements in Hb levels were observed in both groups. The intervention group showed marked improvements in mean cardiovascular volume and transferring saturation compared to the control group. Serum Fe increased from 11.18 to 11.68 μmol/L in the intervention group but dropped from 12.21 to 10.78 μmol/L in the control group. Average pregnancy weight gain in the intervention group was 11.5 kg compared to 10.40 kg in control subjects. Average birth weight in the intervention group was 3.02 kg compared to 2.71 kg in controls. Incidence of low birth weight (LBW) was 8.8% in the intervention group and 12.5% in the whole group compared to 16.2% LBW in the control group.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Greenwich

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Adewuya, Toluwalope O.

• RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
• RG Gynecology and obstetrics