Abstract:
Little is known about the impact of small‐quantity lipid‐based nutrient supplements
(SQ‐LNSs) on maternal morbidity. This secondary outcome analysis aimed to
compare morbidity symptoms among women in two trials evaluating the efficacy of
SQ‐LNSs. From enrolment (≤20‐week gestation) to 6 months postpartum, Ghanaian
(n = 1320) and Malawian (n = 1391) women were assigned to consume daily: 60 mg
iron and 400 µg folic acid until childbirth and placebo thereafter (iron and folic acid
[IFA] group); or multiple micronutrients (MMN); or 20 g/day SQ‐LNSs. Within
country, we used repeated measures logistic regression and analysis of variance
models to compare group differences in the period prevalence and percentage of
days of monitoring when women had fever, gastrointestinal, reproductive, and
respiratory symptoms during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy (n ~ 1243
in Ghana, 1200 in Malawi) and 0–3 and 3–6 months postpartum (n ~ 1212 in Ghana,
730 in Malawi). Most outcomes did not differ significantly among groups, with the
following exceptions: in Ghana, overall, the prevalence of vomiting was lower in the
LNS (21.5%) than MMN (25.6%) group, with the IFA group (23.2%) in‐between
(p = 0.046); mean ± SD percentage of days with nausea was greater in the LNS
(3.5 ± 10.3) and MMN (3.3 ± 10.4) groups than the IFA (2.7 ± 8.3) group (p = 0.002).
In Malawi, during 3–6 month postpartum, the prevalence of severe diarrhoea was
greater in the LNS (8.1%) than the MMN (2.9%) group, with IFA (4.6%) in‐between,
p = 0.041). We conclude that the type of nutrient supplement received during
pregnancy and lactation generally does not influence morbidity symptoms in these
settings. Clinicaltrials.gov identifiers: NCT00970866; NCT01239693.
