Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) is a nutritional supplement for use during pregnancy based on United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation (UNIMMAP) formulation following WHO specification. It contains 15 micronutrients including Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) at dosages that approximate the recommended dietary allowances for pregnancy. This combination is a UNIMMAP MMS product, required during pregnancy due to the increased nutritional needs of the mother and the growing foetus, even if the mother has access to a sufficient diet. It aids healthy functioning of her body and helps to avoid her baby from being born too soon and too small, as well as other long-term implications on the health of the child. Moreover, This combination prevents anemia, a condition when the body does not produce enough red blood cells. Micronutrient deficiency is one of the major risk factors of LBW.
Evidence shows that the provision of MMS for women starting early in pregnancy provides clear benefits for both women and their unborn and newborn infants, beyond IFA supplementation alone. The MMS can improve birth outcomes significantly by reducing the risk of LBW (12%), being born small-for-gestational age (SGA) at 8%, and preterm births. The 2017 Lancet meta-analysis established that MMS significantly reduces the risk of following health outcomes:
- Reduces the risk of babies being born with a low birth weight
- Reduces the risk of small-for-gestational age births
- Reduces preterm birth
- Reduces the risk of neonatal mortality Objective
- To establish Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) as a highly impactful solution for reducing Low Birth Weight (LBW)
- To replace Iron Folic Acid (IFA) by MMS in Bangladesh hence reduce the prevalence of Low Birth Weight (LBW).
This combination is the first ever UNIMMAP formulated and WHO recommended Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) in Bangladesh from LMICs for fulfilling the additional nutritional requirements during pregnancy to reduce the prevalence of LBW.