Update on nutrition recommendations for multiple micronutrient supplementation and vitamin D supplementation
The World Health Organization (WHO) envisions a world where every pregnant woman and newborn receives quality care throughout the pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. The importance of nutrition has been recognized as part of this care and a Comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition has been approved by the 65th World Health Assembly.
As part of its unique normative function in health, WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience were developed, which included 14 recommendations related to nutrition. These guidelines were developed in 2016 and are relevant to all pregnant women and adolescent girls receiving antenatal care in any health-care facility or community-based setting. In 2017, the Executive Guideline Steering Group (GSG) on WHO maternal and perinatal health recommendations prioritized the updating of four out of the 14 nutrition recommendations: calcium supplementation, zinc supplementation, vitamin D supplementation and multiple micronutrient supplementation. Updated guidance on calcium supplementation was published in 2018 and guidance on zinc supplementation will be developed in the future. We are currently updating guidance on the use of multiple micronutrients during pregnancy and vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy.
Updated evidence reviews have been conducted for both multiple micronutrients and vitamin D supplements and will be discussed during this guideline development panel meeting by videoconference, using WebEx, on 4-5 December 2019.
The main objectives of this panel meeting are to:
- Present the evidence for informing the update of the two nutrition recommendations for the WHO antenatal care guidelines for multiple micronutrient supplementation and vitamin D supplementation;
- Draft updated recommendations for the two nutrition recommendations, considering benefits, harms, values and preferences, feasibility, equity, ethics, acceptability, resource requirements and other factors, as appropriate;
- Define implications for further research and gaps; and
- Discuss considerations for the implementation the recommendations, if necessary.