Bibliographic information
GuidelineWHO recommendations on adolescent health: guidelines approved by the WHO guidelines review committee
Year of Publication2017
Issuing InstitutionWorld Health Organization
Recommendation
New
Zinc supplementation for pregnant women is only recommended in the context of rigorous research.
Recommendation in research context
Only in research contexts
Notes and Remarks
- 1.Many of the included studies were at risk of bias, which influenced the certainty of the review evidence on the effects of zinc supplementation.
- 2.The low-certainty evidence that zinc supplementation may reduce preterm birth warrants further investigation, as do the other outcomes for which the evidence is very uncertain (e.g. perinatal mortality, neonatal sepsis), particularly in zinc-deficient populations with no food fortification strategy in place. Further research should aim to clarify to what extent zinc supplementation competes with iron and/or calcium antenatal supplements for absorption. The GDG considered that food fortification may be a more cost–effective strategy and that more evidence is needed on the cost–effectiveness of food fortification strategies