High-protein supplementation during pregnancy

The nutritional status of women prior to and during pregnancy plays a key role in fetal growth and development. Undernourished pregnant women may be at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, including giving birth to low-birth-weight and small for gestational age infants.

Providing balanced protein energy supplementation (i.e. supplements in which protein provides less than 25% of the total energy content) to undernourished pregnant women has been shown to promote gestational weight gain and improve pregnancy outcomes.

Evidence for the effects of high-protein supplementation is very limited, however, and suggests no positive health benefits for women and increased risk of small for gestational-age babies.