Nutritional Supplementation for Pregnant Women to Prevent Stunting Among Children: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Stunting can interfere with the growth and development of children because it's a chronic nutritional problem caused by a deficit in nutritional intake for a long period of time. If during pregnancy the mother's nutritional status is low, there is a risk of giving birth to a stunting baby. Supplements are given to meet the nutritional needs of pregnant women who are not fulfilled from food. Objective: This study aims to analyze the current literature on nutritional supplementation programs for pregnant women to prevent further stunting among children. Methods: This literature review was carried out on articles in PubMed and CINAHL, published from 2012 to 2022, with a systematic review, meta-analysis, as well as clinical and RCT designs in English. The primary keyword used were "supplements" AND "pregnancy" OR "antenatal" AND "stunting" AND "prevention". Results: Only 9 articles aligned with the criteria were reported, some of which stated that lipid-based nutritional supplements reduced the risk of stunting babies. Furthermore, supplements containing folic acid, iron, micronutrients, zinc, osteocalcin, and animal protein can reduce the risk of stunting. Conclusions: Supplements for pregnant women containing folic acid and iron, specific nutrients, lipid-based nutritional supplements, micronutrients, osteocalcin, and animal protein reduce stunting in children.