title: Prenatal dietary supplementation of African women and birth-weight.
abstract: Gambian women, who show marked seasonal fluctuations in energy balance, were offered a dietary supplement during pregnancy. This resulted in a net energy increment of 431 kcal/day. In the wet season, when the women were normally in marked negative energy balance due to food shortages and a high agricultural work load, the supplementation improved birth-weight by a mean of 224 g and reduced the incidence of low-birth-weight babies (less than 2.5 kg) from 28.2% to 4.7%. In the dry season, when the women were previously in positive energy balance despite an energy intake of only 60% of the recommended dietary allowance, the supplement had no beneficial effect on birth outcome. This threshold effect indicates the need to identify truly at-risk groups for prenatal supplementation programmes in developing countries.
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D002508:Cephalometry; D004032:Diet; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D005714:Gambia; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins