A study has found that improving maternal nutrition during pregnancy could be key to improving birth outcomes. Spanning eight clinical trials across Africa and South Asia, the study finds that food-based products — nutritional beverages or nutrient-dense pastes that boost calorie and protein intake — can help ensure healthier birth weights and fewer high-risk newborns. Prenatal interventions have often focused on micronutrient supplements, but this study supports that food-based approaches to increase pregnant women’s calorie and protein intake — collectively referred to as balanced energy and protein (BEP) supplements — may better support fetal growth.
