• Reema Mukherjee, Priyanka Gupta Bansal, Tanica Lyngdoh, Bikash Medhi, SharmaK AparnaKADepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India., T Prashanth, Raghu Pullakhandam, Ranadip Chowdhury, Sunita Taneja, Kapil Yadav, Radhika Madhari, N K Arora, Nita Bhandari, Bharati Kulkarni, K Madhavan Nair, and Shinjini Bhatnagar.
• Division of Reproductive, Child Health & Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India.
• Indian J Med Res. 2024 Jun 1; 159 (6): 547556547-556.

AbstractBackground & objectives Reducing maternal anaemia and enhancing feto-maternal health to achieve desired birth outcomes is a major health concern in India. Micronutrient deficiencies during pregnancy may impact fetal growth and neonatal outcomes. There is increasing interest in using multiple micronutrient supplement (MMS) during pregnancy. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends use of MMS containing Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) in the context of "rigorous research". Against this backdrop, an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-led MMS design expert group met over six months to review the evidence and decide on the formulation of an India-specific MMS supplement for pregnant mothers for potential use in a research setting. Methods The India-MMS design expert group conducted a series of meetings to assess the available evidence regarding the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in pregnant women in India, the health benefits of supplementing with different micronutrients during pregnancy, as well as nutrient interactions within the MMS formulation. Based on these considerations, the expert group reached a consensus on the composition of the MMS tailored for pregnant women in India. Results The India-specific MMS formulation includes five minerals and 10 vitamins, similar to the United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation (UNIMMAP) composition. However, the quantities of all vitamins and minerals except Zinc, Vitamin E, and Vitamin B6 differ. Interpretation & conclusions This report provides an overview of the process adopted, the evidence evaluated, and the conclusions from the expert working group meetings to finalize an MMS supplement in pregnancy for the Indian context to be used in a research setting.

21 keywords...

hide…