JHU and CDC
Normal user
10 Feb 2011, 07:22
Does anyone know of research done in pregnant women where they gave food/nutrient supplements during pregnancy and they measured impact of incidence of obstructed labour?
Many women in developing countries are stunted and might have a small birth channel. Once these women are pregnant a small baby (at time of birth) will be able to go through the birth channel. However, nutrition supplementation programmes during pregnancy might make the foetus bigger and perhaps increase the risk of problems during delivery?
Q1 do you know of any research on this over the last 15 years?
Q2 do you know an expert in this area that is able to help me?
Many thanks, Mija
Frequent user
10 Feb 2011, 16:55
Hi Mija
The most useful data are from the Ceesay trial in Gambia that gave protein/energy supplementation for about 20 weeks before delivery. The risk of low birth weight was reduced by about 40%, but there was only a 1mm increase in head radius (= 3.1mm increase in circumference). Possibly suggesting that head growth is preserved during undernutrition and therefore less affected by supplementation.
see: http://eprints.ucl.ac.uk/3581/1/3581.pdf
Jay