Outcome of maternal nutritional supplementation: a comprehensive review of the Bacon Chow study.
In a double blind controlled intervention, two groups of nutritionally at-risk rural Taiwanese women were given a nutrient-rich dietary supplement (group A, n = 114) or a placebo (group B, n = 111) beginning after the birth of one child and continuing through the lactation period for a subsequent child. Outcome variables assessed include infant birth measurements postnatal physical growth, motor, mental, and dental development, morbidity, and maternal weight and skinfold changes during pregnancy and lactation. While few A-B differences in mean values of outcome variables were found, there were significant responses in subgroups of the sample. Comparisons of infants born after a nutrient-supplemented pregnancy (A2) versus an unsupplemented pregnancy (A1) showed that A2 male infants weighed more than A1 males at birth, and A1-A2 sibling correlations in birth measurements, especially Rohrer's index (wt/l3) were significantly reduced. Important mediators of supplement effects included sex of the offspring, season of birth, maternal body size, and birth of a previous infant characterized by dysmorphic prenatal growth. The limited effects of supplementation on the population as a whole may reflect the operation of long term adaptations which allow women to maintain reproductive success despite their apparent marginal nutritional status.
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001724:Birth Weight; D001835:Body Weight; D002657:Child Development; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007774:Lactation; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008427:Maternal Health Services; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012306:Risk; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan