Bibliographic Info
GuidelineWHO recommendations on maternal health: guidelines approved by the WHO Guidelines Review Committee, second edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025
Year of Publication2023
Issuing InstitutionWorld Health Organization
Recommendation
Status
Maintained
Context specific recommendation
Only in specific contexts
Certainty of evidence
Moderate
In undernourished populations, nutrition education on increasing daily energy and protein intake is recommended for pregnant women to reduce the risk of low birth- weight neonates
Notes and Remarks
- 1.Undernourishment is usually defined by a low BMI (i.e. being underweight). For adults, a 20–39% prevalence of underweight women is considered a high prevalence of underweight and 40% or higher is considered a very high prevalence. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) may also be useful to identify protein–energy malnutrition in individual pregnant women and to determine its prevalence in this population. However, the optimal cut-off points may need to be determined for individual countries based on context-specific cost–benefit analyses
- 2.Anthropometric characteristics of the general population are changing, and this needs to be taken into account by regularly reassessing the prevalence of undernutrition to ensure that the intervention remains relevant.
- 3.The GDG noted that a strong training package is needed for practitioners, including standardized guidance on nutrition. This guidance should be evidence-based, sustainable, reproducible, accessible and adaptable to different cultural settings.
- 4.Stakeholders might wish to consider alternative delivery platforms (e.g. peer counsellors, media reminders) and task shifting for delivery of this intervention.
- 5.Areas that are highly food insecure or those with little access to a variety of foods may wish to consider additional complementary interventions, such as distribution of balanced protein and energy supplements
Also Featured In
This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:
Originally Developed
Guideline
WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience
Year2016
InstitutionWHO