The effect of prenatal balanced energy and protein supplementation on gestational weight gain : an individual participant data meta-analysis in low- and middle-income countries
- Author
- Dongqing Wang, Uttara Partap, Enju Liu, Janaína Calu Costa, Ilana R. Cliffer, Molin Wang, Sudeer Kumar Nookala, Vishak Subramoney, Brittany Briggs, Imran Ahmed, Alemayehu Argaw (UGent) , Shabina Ariff, Nita Bhandari, Ranadip Chowdhury, Daniel Erchick, Armando García-Guerra, Masoumah Ghaffarpour, Giles Hanley-Cook (UGent) , Lieven Huybregts (UGent) , Fyezah Jehan, Fatemeh Kaseb, Nancy F. Krebs, Carl Lachat (UGent) , Tsering Pema Lama, Dharma S. Manandhar, Elizabeth M. McClure, Sophie E. Moore, Ameer Muhammad, Lynnette M. Neufeld, Andrew M. Prentice, Amado D. Quezada-Sánchez, Dominique Roberfroid, Naomi M. Saville, Yasir Shafiq, Bhim P. Shrestha, Bakary Sonko, Sajid Soofi, Sunita Taneja, James M. Tielsch, Laéticia Céline Toe (UGent) , Naser Valaei and Wafaie W. Fawzi
- Organization
- Abstract
- Background Understanding the effects of balanced energy and protein (BEP) supplements on gestational weight gain (GWG) and how the effects differ depending on maternal characteristics and the nutritional composition of the supplements will inform the implementation of prenatal BEP interventions. Methods and findings Individual participant data from 11 randomized controlled trials of prenatal BEP supplements (N = 12,549, with 5,693 in the BEP arm and 6,856 in the comparison arm) in low- and middle-income countries were used. The primary outcomes included GWG adequacy (%) and the estimated total GWG at delivery as continuous outcomes, and severely inadequate (<70% adequacy), inadequate GWG (<90% adequacy), and excessive GWG (>125% adequacy) as binary outcomes; all variables were calculated based on the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Linear and log-binomial models were used to estimate study-specific mean differences or risk ratios (RRs), respectively, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the effects of prenatal BEP on the GWG outcomes. The study-specific estimates were pooled using meta-analyses. Subgroup analyses were conducted by individual characteristics. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were conducted for study-level characteristics. Compared to the comparison group, prenatal BEP led to a 6% greater GWG percent adequacy (95% CI: 2.18, 9.56; p = 0.002), a 0.59 kg greater estimated total GWG at delivery (95% CI, 0.12, 1.05; p = 0.014), a 10% lower risk of severely inadequate GWG (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.99; p = 0.025), and a 7% lower risk of inadequate GWG (RR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.97; p = 0.001). The effects of prenatal BEP on GWG outcomes were stronger in studies with a targeted approach, where BEP supplements were provided to participants in the intervention arm under specific criteria such as low body mass index or low GWG, compared to studies with an untargeted approach, where BEP supplements were provided to all participants allocated to the intervention arm. Conclusions Prenatal BEP supplements are effective in increasing GWG and reducing the risk of inadequate weight gain during pregnancy. BEP supplementation targeted toward pregnant women with undernutrition may be a promising approach to delivering the supplements.
- Keywords
- OUTCOMES, BIRTH, RISK, PREVALENCE, PREGNANCY, NUTRITION, OBESITY, FOOD, BIAS
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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01JK7X9WWC1D2D4HTXC0TGKEQ0
- MLA
- Wang, Dongqing, et al. “The Effect of Prenatal Balanced Energy and Protein Supplementation on Gestational Weight Gain : An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.” PLOS MEDICINE, vol. 22, no. 2, 2025, doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004523.
- APA
- Wang, D., Partap, U., Liu, E., Costa, J. C., Cliffer, I. R., Wang, M., … Fawzi, W. W. (2025). The effect of prenatal balanced energy and protein supplementation on gestational weight gain : an individual participant data meta-analysis in low- and middle-income countries. PLOS MEDICINE, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004523
- Chicago author-date
- Wang, Dongqing, Uttara Partap, Enju Liu, Janaína Calu Costa, Ilana R. Cliffer, Molin Wang, Sudeer Kumar Nookala, et al. 2025. “The Effect of Prenatal Balanced Energy and Protein Supplementation on Gestational Weight Gain : An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.” PLOS MEDICINE 22 (2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004523.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Wang, Dongqing, Uttara Partap, Enju Liu, Janaína Calu Costa, Ilana R. Cliffer, Molin Wang, Sudeer Kumar Nookala, Vishak Subramoney, Brittany Briggs, Imran Ahmed, Alemayehu Argaw, Shabina Ariff, Nita Bhandari, Ranadip Chowdhury, Daniel Erchick, Armando García-Guerra, Masoumah Ghaffarpour, Giles Hanley-Cook, Lieven Huybregts, Fyezah Jehan, Fatemeh Kaseb, Nancy F. Krebs, Carl Lachat, Tsering Pema Lama, Dharma S. Manandhar, Elizabeth M. McClure, Sophie E. Moore, Ameer Muhammad, Lynnette M. Neufeld, Andrew M. Prentice, Amado D. Quezada-Sánchez, Dominique Roberfroid, Naomi M. Saville, Yasir Shafiq, Bhim P. Shrestha, Bakary Sonko, Sajid Soofi, Sunita Taneja, James M. Tielsch, Laéticia Céline Toe, Naser Valaei, and Wafaie W. Fawzi. 2025. “The Effect of Prenatal Balanced Energy and Protein Supplementation on Gestational Weight Gain : An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.” PLOS MEDICINE 22 (2). doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004523.
- Vancouver
- 1.Wang D, Partap U, Liu E, Costa JC, Cliffer IR, Wang M, et al. The effect of prenatal balanced energy and protein supplementation on gestational weight gain : an individual participant data meta-analysis in low- and middle-income countries. PLOS MEDICINE. 2025;22(2).
- IEEE
- [1]D. Wang et al., “The effect of prenatal balanced energy and protein supplementation on gestational weight gain : an individual participant data meta-analysis in low- and middle-income countries,” PLOS MEDICINE, vol. 22, no. 2, 2025.
@article{01JK7X9WWC1D2D4HTXC0TGKEQ0,
abstract = {{Background Understanding the effects of balanced energy and protein (BEP) supplements on gestational weight gain (GWG) and how the effects differ depending on maternal characteristics and the nutritional composition of the supplements will inform the implementation of prenatal BEP interventions. Methods and findings Individual participant data from 11 randomized controlled trials of prenatal BEP supplements (N = 12,549, with 5,693 in the BEP arm and 6,856 in the comparison arm) in low- and middle-income countries were used. The primary outcomes included GWG adequacy (%) and the estimated total GWG at delivery as continuous outcomes, and severely inadequate (<70% adequacy), inadequate GWG (<90% adequacy), and excessive GWG (>125% adequacy) as binary outcomes; all variables were calculated based on the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Linear and log-binomial models were used to estimate study-specific mean differences or risk ratios (RRs), respectively, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the effects of prenatal BEP on the GWG outcomes. The study-specific estimates were pooled using meta-analyses. Subgroup analyses were conducted by individual characteristics. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were conducted for study-level characteristics. Compared to the comparison group, prenatal BEP led to a 6% greater GWG percent adequacy (95% CI: 2.18, 9.56; p = 0.002), a 0.59 kg greater estimated total GWG at delivery (95% CI, 0.12, 1.05; p = 0.014), a 10% lower risk of severely inadequate GWG (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.99; p = 0.025), and a 7% lower risk of inadequate GWG (RR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.97; p = 0.001). The effects of prenatal BEP on GWG outcomes were stronger in studies with a targeted approach, where BEP supplements were provided to participants in the intervention arm under specific criteria such as low body mass index or low GWG, compared to studies with an untargeted approach, where BEP supplements were provided to all participants allocated to the intervention arm. Conclusions Prenatal BEP supplements are effective in increasing GWG and reducing the risk of inadequate weight gain during pregnancy. BEP supplementation targeted toward pregnant women with undernutrition may be a promising approach to delivering the supplements.}},
articleno = {{e1004523}},
author = {{Wang, Dongqing and Partap, Uttara and Liu, Enju and Costa, Janaína Calu and Cliffer, Ilana R. and Wang, Molin and Nookala, Sudeer Kumar and Subramoney, Vishak and Briggs, Brittany and Ahmed, Imran and Argaw, Alemayehu and Ariff, Shabina and Bhandari, Nita and Chowdhury, Ranadip and Erchick, Daniel and García-Guerra, Armando and Ghaffarpour, Masoumah and Hanley-Cook, Giles and Huybregts, Lieven and Jehan, Fyezah and Kaseb, Fatemeh and Krebs, Nancy F. and Lachat, Carl and Lama, Tsering Pema and Manandhar, Dharma S. and McClure, Elizabeth M. and Moore, Sophie E. and Muhammad, Ameer and Neufeld, Lynnette M. and Prentice, Andrew M. and Quezada-Sánchez, Amado D. and Roberfroid, Dominique and Saville, Naomi M. and Shafiq, Yasir and Shrestha, Bhim P. and Sonko, Bakary and Soofi, Sajid and Taneja, Sunita and Tielsch, James M. and Toe, Laéticia Céline and Valaei, Naser and Fawzi, Wafaie W.}},
issn = {{1549-1277}},
journal = {{PLOS MEDICINE}},
keywords = {{OUTCOMES,BIRTH,RISK,PREVALENCE,PREGNANCY,NUTRITION,OBESITY,FOOD,BIAS}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{28}},
title = {{The effect of prenatal balanced energy and protein supplementation on gestational weight gain : an individual participant data meta-analysis in low- and middle-income countries}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004523}},
volume = {{22}},
year = {{2025}},
}
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