Do preventive lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) for infants and their mothers help to improve health, nutrition, and developmental outcomes?

LNSs given to young children probably reduce stunting, wasting, underweight, and anemia. Compared with fortified blended food or micronutrient powders, the benefits of LNSs appear less pronounced.Moderate‐certainty evidence shows that preventive LNSs given with complementary food to infants and young children 6 to 24 months of age was associated with slightly fewer moderate and severe stunting cases (341 vs 367 and 95 vs 112 per 1000 infants, respectively; all results on average), slightly fewer moderate wasting cases (93 vs 112 per 1000 infants), and fewer moderate underweight cases (209 vs 246 per 1000 infants). With LNSs, fewer infants experienced an adverse effect (197 vs 229 per 1000 infants; including death and hospitalization), and fewer infants developed anemia (405 vs 513 per 1000; low‐certainty evidence).Moderate‐certainty evidence shows that fewer infants had moderate stunting (391 vs 440 per 1000 infants), moderate wasting (130 vs 164 per 1000 infants), and moderate underweight (328 vs 405 per 1000 infants) with LNSs than with fortified blended food. Results for the severe grade of these outcomes were imprecise (moderate‐ to low‐certainty evidence). No trial reported on anemia or adverse effects.Moderate‐certainty evidence shows little or no difference between LNSs and micronutrient powders in moderate stunting and moderate wasting, but fewer infants were moderately underweight (312 vs 355 per 1000 infants), and fewer infants developed anemia (70 vs 184 per 1000 infants, low‐certainty evidence). No trial reported on the severe grade of these outcomes or adverse effects.Fil: Ciapponi, Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública; Argentin