Staff Reporter :
Medical scientists and experts in a seminar on Thursday stressed the need for adequate food and multiple micronutrient supplements from the early pregnancy stage for reducing infant malnutrition and risk of infant death in the country.
In 15 years of randomized factorial cohort study, the ICDDR,B scientists and their partners have found that adequate food and multiple micronutrient supplements from early pregnancy had reduced 60 per cent infant mortality in Bangladesh.
They were presenting the study results in the seminar titled “Fifteen Years of MINIM (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Intervention in Matlab) at the ICDDR,B head office in the city yesterday.
Director General of Directorate of General Health Services (DGHS) Professor Dr Abul Kalam Azad chaired the programme as chief guest while Deputy Representative of UNICEF Bangladesh
Ms Sheema Sen Gupta was the special guest.
Deputy Executive Director of ICDDR,B Syed Monjurul Islam moderated the occasion.
Professors from Uppsala University, Sweden Lars Åke Persson and Eva-Charlotte Ekström, ICDDR,B scientists Dr Rubhana Raqib, Dr Jena Hamadani, Dr Ruchira Naved, Senior Director, Maternal and Child Health Division, Dr Shams El Arifeen, First Secretary of Health, Embassy of Sweden Marcela Lizana and participants from partner organisations and other NGOs working in maternal and neonatal health and nutrition, attended the seminar, among others.
Professors from Uppsala University, Sweden, Mr Lars Åke Persson and Ms Eva-Charlotte Ekström spoke on effects of MINIM intervention on child survival, child growth and chronic disease markers respectively.
ICDDR,B Scientist Dr Jena Hamadani said, “We have to focus on child nutrition to make them fit for the future.”
“Beside breastfeeding, child health and nutrition have to be ensured with adequate diet plan and supplements,” said Dr Ruchira Naved.
“Strong immunity functions are related with environmental exposure, so we have to focus on pollution free environment for ensuring good health for child and mother,” mentioned Dr Rubhana Raqib.
“This conversation needs to continue as to what these means for other programmes around supplementing multiple micronutrients,” said Dr Shams El Arifeen.
“Research findings of this kind must make their way to the national programme,” said Sheema Sen Gupta.
Dr Abul Kalam Azad underscored the need for continuous development on the issue for saving infant and mother’s lives of the country and around the globe.
“We have to develop dissemination strategies to carry the results of findings to the community level for saving lives in the country,” said Dr Azad.
The study included analyses of health consequences of early life exposure to
environmental toxicants, such as arsenic and cadmium via drinking water and food. It also addressed child growth, cognitive function, and social conditions and health.
Additionally, the nutrition interventions during pregnancy found to be influencing the height growth of children, cognitive function, social conditions as well as chronic disease risk indicators (metabolic markers) at around five years, said the study.
Maternal and child under nutrition is estimated to be the underlying cause of 3.5 million annual deaths globally and almost half of the total disease burden in under-five children.
The study commenced in 2001 and recruited 4,436 women who were given food supplements and micronutrients from early pregnancy. This group of women and their children were followed eventually and initiatives taken to follow the children up to 15 years of age.
Medical scientists and experts in a seminar on Thursday stressed the need for adequate food and multiple micronutrient supplements from the early pregnancy stage for reducing infant malnutrition and risk of infant death in the country.
In 15 years of randomized factorial cohort study, the ICDDR,B scientists and their partners have found that adequate food and multiple micronutrient supplements from early pregnancy had reduced 60 per cent infant mortality in Bangladesh.
They were presenting the study results in the seminar titled “Fifteen Years of MINIM (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Intervention in Matlab) at the ICDDR,B head office in the city yesterday.
Director General of Directorate of General Health Services (DGHS) Professor Dr Abul Kalam Azad chaired the programme as chief guest while Deputy Representative of UNICEF Bangladesh
Ms Sheema Sen Gupta was the special guest.
Deputy Executive Director of ICDDR,B Syed Monjurul Islam moderated the occasion.
Professors from Uppsala University, Sweden Lars Åke Persson and Eva-Charlotte Ekström, ICDDR,B scientists Dr Rubhana Raqib, Dr Jena Hamadani, Dr Ruchira Naved, Senior Director, Maternal and Child Health Division, Dr Shams El Arifeen, First Secretary of Health, Embassy of Sweden Marcela Lizana and participants from partner organisations and other NGOs working in maternal and neonatal health and nutrition, attended the seminar, among others.
Professors from Uppsala University, Sweden, Mr Lars Åke Persson and Ms Eva-Charlotte Ekström spoke on effects of MINIM intervention on child survival, child growth and chronic disease markers respectively.
ICDDR,B Scientist Dr Jena Hamadani said, “We have to focus on child nutrition to make them fit for the future.”
“Beside breastfeeding, child health and nutrition have to be ensured with adequate diet plan and supplements,” said Dr Ruchira Naved.
“Strong immunity functions are related with environmental exposure, so we have to focus on pollution free environment for ensuring good health for child and mother,” mentioned Dr Rubhana Raqib.
“This conversation needs to continue as to what these means for other programmes around supplementing multiple micronutrients,” said Dr Shams El Arifeen.
“Research findings of this kind must make their way to the national programme,” said Sheema Sen Gupta.
Dr Abul Kalam Azad underscored the need for continuous development on the issue for saving infant and mother’s lives of the country and around the globe.
“We have to develop dissemination strategies to carry the results of findings to the community level for saving lives in the country,” said Dr Azad.
The study included analyses of health consequences of early life exposure to
environmental toxicants, such as arsenic and cadmium via drinking water and food. It also addressed child growth, cognitive function, and social conditions and health.
Additionally, the nutrition interventions during pregnancy found to be influencing the height growth of children, cognitive function, social conditions as well as chronic disease risk indicators (metabolic markers) at around five years, said the study.
Maternal and child under nutrition is estimated to be the underlying cause of 3.5 million annual deaths globally and almost half of the total disease burden in under-five children.
The study commenced in 2001 and recruited 4,436 women who were given food supplements and micronutrients from early pregnancy. This group of women and their children were followed eventually and initiatives taken to follow the children up to 15 years of age.
