Micronutrient dose response (MiNDR) study among women of reproductive age and pregnant women in rural Bangladesh: study protocol for double-blind, randomised, controlled trials.

Introduction: Optimising the micronutrient status of women before and during reproduction confers benefits to them and their offspring. Antenatal multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), given as a daily tablet with nutrients at ~1 recommended dietary allowance (RDA) or adequate intake (AI) reduces adverse birth outcomes. However, at this dosage, MMS may not fully address micronutrient deficiencies in settings with chronically inadequate diets and infection.

Effects of vitamin B12 supplementation on oxidative stress markers and pro-inflammatory cytokines during pregnancy and postpartum among Bangladeshi mother-child pairs.

Background: There is limited research to determine whether vitamin B12 (B12) supplementation during pregnancy and lactation is protective against oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines and whether this effect is transferred to breastfed infants via milk. In addition, associations among maternal plasma/ milk and infant B12 status and immune function markers are poorly characterized.

Objectives: To evaluate effects of oral B12 supplementation during pregnancy and postpartum on maternal and infant 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG, an oxidative stress marker) and proinflammatory cytokine levels, and examine associations between maternal plasma, breastmilk and infant B12 status as well as immune function markers.

Sources of COVID-19 Vaccine Promotion for Pregnant and Lactating Women in Bangladesh.

COVID-19 vaccines are an effective public health intervention to reduce COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality. Given that pregnant and lactating women have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 complications, it is paramount to understand the factors that inform vaccine decision-making among this population. In this study, we sought to identify facilitators and barriers to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and vaccine promotion in pregnant and lactating women in Bangladesh.

COVID-19 vaccine eligibility of pregnant and lactating women in Bangladesh: Gap between policy and policy interpretation among policymakers and healthcare workers.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy is associated with a greater risk of maternal and newborn morbidity and maternal death. Bangladesh confirmed its first COVID-19 case in March of 2020, and vaccination rollout started in January of 2021. In Bangladesh, pregnant women are allowed to receive COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy with qualifications while lactating women are permitted to receive COVID-19 vaccines with no qualifications as of October 2021.

Assessing the Impact of a Handwashing Knowledge and Practices Program among Poor Households in Rural Bangladesh: A Cluster-Randomized Pre-Post Study.

Improvement in hand hygiene has been strongly associated with positive outcomes in maternal and child health. Although Bangladesh has a high level of awareness of key hygiene messages, the practice of handwashing, the most effective hygiene behavior, is low. Suchana, a multisectoral nutrition program, aims to increase knowledge and practices around various water, sanitation, and hygiene settings in Sylhet region, the northeast of rural Bangladesh.

COVID-19 vaccine decision-making among pregnant and lactating women in Bangladesh.

Pregnant and lactating women's vaccine decision-making process is influenced by many factors. Pregnant women were at increased risk for severe disease and poor health outcomes from COVID-19 at various time points during the pandemic. COVID-19 vaccines have been found to be safe and protective during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

A predictive modelling approach to illustrate factors correlating with stunting among children aged 12-23 months: a cluster randomised pre-post study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to construct a predictive model in order to develop an intervention study to reduce the prevalence of stunting among children aged 12-23 months.

Design: The study followed a cluster randomised pre-post design and measured the impacts on various indicators of livelihood, health and nutrition. The study was based on a large dataset collected from two cross-sectional studies (baseline and endline).

Factors associated with low and medium household dietary diversity compared with high dietary diversity among marginalised households in rural Bangladesh: Findings from a Suchana baseline survey.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the associated factors of low and medium household (HH) dietary diversity (DD) compared with high DD among marginalised households in rural Bangladesh.

Methods: Through the Suchana baseline survey, data on 5440 households from Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts of Bangladesh was collected between November 2016 and February 2017. Household DD was categorised as low, medium or high based on number of food groups consumed during the last 24 hours.

Food security status of -participating households in north-eastern rural Bangladesh.

Despite achieving remarkable progress, food insecurity remains a major public health challenge in Bangladesh, and severe food insecurity status has not been reduced in susceptible areas and vulnerable regions in Bangladesh. Wetlands that are susceptible to flooding can be found in Bangladesh's north-eastern Sylhet division. , a large-scale nutrition programme, implemented nutrition-specific and sensitive interventions in poor and very poor households in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh.

Enhanced women's decision-making power after the intervention in north-eastern Bangladesh: a cluster randomised pre-post study.

Objectives: Women's decision-making power is a dimension of empowerment and is crucial for better physical and psychosocial outcomes of mothers. , a large-scale development programme in Bangladesh, actively provided social interventions on behaviour change communication to empower women belonging to the poorest social segment. This paper aims to assess the impact of the intervention on various indicators related to women's decision-making power.

Does a child's mid-upper arm circumference-for-age z-score represent another nutritional indicator of childhood malnutrition status?

Child wasting is defined as a weight-for-height/length z-score (WLZ/WHZ) < -2, and this indicator of nutritional status is used worldwide. However, a precise measurement is required for the assessment of a child's nutritional status, which may not always be possible due to expensive instruments, especially in poor resource settings. In some instances, mid-upper arm circumference-for-age z-score (MUACZ) is also being used for screening purposes, which is a simple and useful nutritional indicator.

A High Throughput Lipidomics Method Using Multiple Reaction Monitoring.

Lipid compositions of cells, tissues, and bio-fluids are complex, with varying concentrations and structural diversity making their identification challenging. Newer methods for comprehensive analysis of lipids are thus necessary. Herein, we propose a targeted-mass spectrometry based lipidomics screening method using a combination of variable retention time window and relative dwell time weightage.

A Comprehensive Computational Investigation into the Conserved Virulent Proteins of species Unveils Potential Small-Interfering RNA Candidates as a New Therapeutic Strategy against Shigellosis.

species account for the second-leading cause of deaths due to diarrheal diseases among children of less than 5 years of age. The emergence of multi-drug-resistant isolates and the lack of availability of vaccines have led to the pertinence in the efforts made for the development of new therapeutic strategies against shigellosis. Consequently, designing small-interfering RNA (siRNA) candidates against such infectious agents represents a novel approach to propose new therapeutic candidates to curb the rampant rise of anti-microbial resistance in such pathogens.

Type of terrain and infant and young child feeding practices: cross-sectional study findings on children below 2 years of age from northern Bangladesh.

Introduction: Optimal feeding practices are vital for the subsistence, adequate nutrition, physical growth and mental development of infants and young children. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of core infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators and their associations with the type of terrain, that is, geographical area or zone among the beneficiaries of a large-scale nutrition programme, , being carried out in the northern part of rural Bangladesh.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2016 to February 2017 in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts of Sylhet Division, Bangladesh.

Risk Factors for Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis Infection and Association with Environmental Enteric Dysfunction and Linear Growth in Children: Results from the MAL-ED Study.

Despite reports of enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) isolation from asymptomatic children, no reports exist regarding the possible association of ETBF with long-term complications such as development of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) and subsequent linear growth faltering in childhood. We aimed to establish a potential association between the burden of asymptomatic ETBF infection and EED and linear growth at 24 months of age using the data collected from 1,715 children enrolled in the multi-country birth cohort study, known as the Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health study. Using Poisson regression models, we evaluated the site-specific incidence rate and, subsequently, identified the risk factors and assessed the association between the burden of ETBF infection and EED score and linear growth at 24 months of age.

Iron content of drinking water is associated with anaemia status among children in high groundwater iron areas in Bangladesh.

Objective: Iron in groundwater provides a good source of absorbable iron for humans and can contribute to optimal iron and haemoglobin (Hb) status among populations. We aimed to examine the relationship between the iron content of groundwater and anaemia status among 12- to 23-month-old children in a rural area of Bangladesh.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 80 randomly selected unions (the lowest administrative unit) in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts of Bangladesh.

Prenatal nutrition supplementation and growth biomarkers in preadolescent Bangladeshi children: A birth cohort study.

Little is known about the usefulness of biomarkers to study the influence of prenatal nutrition supplementation in improving child growth. Anthropometry is not always straightforward to understand how nutrition might impact growth, especially in settings with high rates of malnutrition and infections. We examined the effects of prenatal supplementation on growth and growth biomarkers and the relationship between anthropometric measures and growth biomarkers of children at 4.

The large-scale community-based programme 'Suchana' improved maternal healthcare practices in north-eastern Bangladesh: Findings from a cluster randomized pre-post study.

Adequate maternal healthcare practices are crucial to both maternal and infant nutrition outcomes. The Sylhet region of Bangladesh is vulnerable and performs poorly, as maternal and child health indicators are falling behind compared to other areas. Suchana, a large-scale intervention programme aims to improve the health and nutritional status of mothers and children in this region.

Determinants of maternal low mid-upper arm circumference and its association with child nutritional status among poor and very poor households in rural Bangladesh.

Malnutrition among women is a long-standing public health concern that has significant adverse consequences on the survival and healthy development of children. Maternal mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) could potentially represent a simpler alternative to traditional nutritional indicators. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with low maternal MUAC (as an indicator of being underweight) and address the research question of whether maternal MUAC is significantly associated with children's nutritional status among poor and very poor households in rural Bangladesh.

infection and micronutrient deficiency in pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Over the last few years, epidemiological studies have shown that infection with has a major effect on micronutrient deficiency as well as on adverse pregnancy outcomes. Importantly, there are gaps in understanding the linkage of infection with micronutrients deficiency in pregnant women.

Objective: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the association between infection and micronutrient deficiencies in pregnant women.