Impact of nutrition counselling and supplements on the mineral nutriture of rural pregnant women and their neonates.

Sixty six young women from low and lower middle income groups selected from 8 villages of Ludhiana district in the first trimester of pregnancy were divided equally into Experimental (E) and Control (C) Groups, out of which only 60 subjects reached to the term. Folifer and calcium tablets were supplied to E group from second trimester till delivery along with regular medical supervision and nutrition education about additional nutrient needs. Intake of all the nutrients were less than the Recommended Dietary Allowances in the E and C groups during the third trimester. However, the requirement of iron, calcium, folic acid, vitamin B12, Vitamin D and ascorbic acid were met in group E due to supplementation. The Fe, Ca and Cu levels improved significantly during the third trimester in group E. The cord serum levels of Fe, Ca and Cu were also significantly higher in Group E. The relationships between maternal and cord blood levels of Fe, Ca and Cu were also significantly higher in Group E. The relationships between maternal and cord blood levels of Fe, Ca, Cu and Zn were significant, the co-efficients of correlation being 0.67, 0.92, 0.97 and 0.43, respectively. Serum Mn had an insignificant correlation with other minerals. The results indicated that 86.7, 94.7 and 44.8% variation (r2) in cord serum Ca, Cu and Fe levels was determined by the corresponding maternal serum levels. It is concluded that regular medical supervision, supplementation and nutrition education significantly improved the nutriture of the pregnant women and their neonates.