Abstract
BackgroundThe Middle East and North Africa region harbors significant proportions of stunting and wasting coupled with surging rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Recent evidence identified nutrition during the first 1000 days of life as a common denominator not only for optimal growth but also for curbing the risk of NCDs later in life. The main objective of this manuscript is to describe the protocol of the first cohort in the region to investigate the association of nutrition imbalances early in life with birth outcomes, growth patterns, as well as early determinants of non-communicable diseases. More specifically the cohort aims to1) examine the effects of maternal and early child nutrition and lifestyle characteristics on birth outcomes and growth patterns and 2) develop evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle guidelines for pregnant women and young children.Methods/designA multidisciplinary team of researchers was established from governmental and private academic and health sectors in Lebanon and Qatar to launch the Mother and Infant Nutritional Assessment 3-year cohort study. Pregnant women (n = 250 from Beirut, n = 250 from Doha) in their first trimester are recruited from healthcare centers in Beirut, Lebanon and Doha, Qatar. Participants are interviewed three times during pregnancy (once every trimester) and seven times at and after delivery (when the child is 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months old). Delivery and birth data is obtained from hospital records. Data collection includes maternal socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics, dietary intake, anthropometric measurements, and household food security data. For biochemical assessment of various indicators of nutritional status, a blood sample is obtained from women during their first trimester. Breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices, dietary intake, as well as anthropometric measurements of children are also examined. The Delphi technique will be used for the development of the nutrition and lifestyle guidelines.DiscussionThe Mother and Infant Nutritional Assessment study protocol provides a model for collaborations between countries of different socio-economic levels within the same region to improve research efficiency in the field of early nutrition thus potentially leading to healthier pregnancies, mothers, infants, and children.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-016-0864-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
The Middle East and North Africa region harbors significant proportions of stunting and wasting coupled with surging rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
The main objective of the manuscript is to describe the protocol of the mother and child cohort study examining the effects of maternal and young child nutrition and lifestyle characteristics on birth outcomes and growth patterns in Lebanon and Qatar; the first cohort study in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region to investigate the association of nutrition imbalances early in life with birth outcomes, growth patterns, as well as early determinants of NCDs
We describe the design for a prospective three year cohort study of pregnant women and their children investigating nutrition and lifestyle exposures and their relationship with growth patterns in two countries of varying socioeconomic levels in the MENA region: Lebanon and Qatar
Summary
The Middle East and North Africa region harbors significant proportions of stunting and wasting coupled with surging rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The main objective of this manuscript is to describe the protocol of the first cohort in the region to investigate the association of nutrition imbalances early in life with birth outcomes, growth patterns, as well as early determinants of non-communicable diseases. Nutrition has important implications on people’s health throughout their life cycle during periods of rapid growth and development, namely during pregnancy and early childhood. This period is referred to as “the first 1000 days of life” [1], during which maternal and child nutrition, including both under- and overnutrition, has been found to affect optimal growth and disease susceptibility later in life. Maternal anemia and deficiency of iron, folate, or vitamin B12 during pregnancy have been associated with an increased risk of fetal growth restriction, premature birth, and low birth weight [12,13,14,15,16,17]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
