Testing the impact of nutritional supplements for women in pregnancy

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned a three-phase Maternal and Infant Nutrition Trial (MINT) which sought to evaluate the preferred product type for the provision of fortified balanced energy protein (BEP) supplements and its impact on pregnancy outcomes. Products of different types and flavours were rapidly assessed in terms of short-term acceptability and then the two most acceptable BEP supplements identified were tested for longer-term acceptability and home consumption for a period of eight weeks. The supplement(s) selected from the formative research were then administered to pregnant women in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) designed to test the efficacy of the BEP supplement(s) during pregnancy and lactation on pregnancy and child health outcomes. Anthrologica led the qualitative research components of the project.