At the 5th edition of the Micronutrient Forum, research was presented on the acceptability and use of various nutritional supplements balanced in protein and energy in pregnant women in Nepal, among which is the supplement ready-to-use nutritional (RUSF) developed by Nutriset: Plumpy'Mum ™.
During pregnancy, the nutritional status of the mother plays a role in the intrauterine growth of the unborn child but also in the health of the mother herself. Being underweight poses a higher risk of mortality, chronic malnutrition and contracting illnesses, including in adulthood, and can affect a child's cognitive and behavioral development in the long term.
As part of the 5th World Micronutrient Forum, the presentation of Tsering P. Lama (John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), member of the MINT study team (BEP supplementation trial in Nepal: Maternal and Infant Nutrition Trial, MINT) in Nepal, highlights the very good acceptability of Plumpy'Mum ™ and the preference of many women for this product in paste form compared to other formats.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women in particular underlined its positively familiar appearance, close to certain local foods, and declared to appreciate its organoleptic characteristics as well as its practicality of use, which does not require prior preparation.
After 8 weeks of use, Plumpy'Mum ™ has also shown to be shared less in the family than a biscuit format, which is one of the major points of attention when seeking to optimize the nutritional impact on women. pregnant and breastfeeding.
The presentation of the MINT study echoes similar work carried out in Burkina Faso and recently published with very satisfactory results for Plumpy'Mum ™.
Although numerous scientific results highlight the importance of maternal nutrition, it remains a major health problem in low- and middle-income countries: 32 million children are indeed born with too little birth weight (Black RE et al. 2015) and 26% of neonatal mortality is attributable to being too short for gestational age (Katz J et al. 2013).
This is why, for several years, Nutriset has offered Plumpy'Mum ™, a RUSF that combines micronutrients and a balanced supply of protein and energy. In 2017, discussions with nutrition specialists from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation enabled us to optimize the product formulation.
With the objective of effectively combating the undernutrition of pregnant and breastfeeding women, and thus acting positively on the development of the child, Nutriset is determined to pursue projects in cooperation with its partners in the field. One of the action components will, for example, be to pilot the integration of products into the continuum of maternal and child care, where the nutritional action of Plumpy'Mum ™ is combined with other awareness-raising activities and support for change. social and behavioral, and test their use at scale in health programs.
Together, let's create synergies and innovate to offer solutions that are ever more adapted to the needs of mothers, particularly in the most vulnerable communities and families.
