New Evidence Available
Updated Recommendation
A new evidence synthesis was published:2020, WHO antenatal care recommendations for a positive pregnancy experience Nutritional interventions update: Multiple micronutrient supplements during pregnancy
View latest version (2020)Bibliographic Info
GuidelineWHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience
Year of Publication2016
Issuing InstitutionWHO
Recommendation
Status
Retired
Not recommended
Multiple micronutrient supplementation is not recommended for pregnant women to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes
Notes and Remarks
- 1.There is some evidence of additional benefit of MMN supplements containing different micronutrients (including iron and folic acid) over iron and folic acid supplements alone, but there is also some evidence of risk, and some important gaps in the evidence. Although the GDG agreed that overall there was insufficient evidence to warrant a recommendation, the group agreed that policymakers in populations with a high prevalence of nutritional deficiencies might consider the benefits of MMN supplements on maternal health to outweigh the disadvantages, and may choose to give MMN supplements that include iron and folic acid.
- 2.More research is needed to determine which micronutrients improve maternal and perinatal outcomes, and how these can be optimally combined into a single supplement.