Is Iron Supplementation Associated with Infant Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa and Does Birth Weight Modify These Associations?

ABSTRACT: Background: Iron supplementation during pregnancy is associated with several health benefits, including a reduced risk of maternal anaemia and improved neonatal outcomes such as lower rates of low birth weight, infection, and anaemia in infancy. However, its impact on neonatal and post-neonatal mortality remains unclear in resource-limited settings, where adherence to maternal iron supplementation is low. This study examined the association between maternal iron supplementation and neonatal and post-neonatal mortality and explored whether low birth weight (LBW) modifies those associations. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilised Demographic and Health Survey data collected between 2015 and 2023 from 26 sub-Saharan countries, including 287,642 neonates and 279,819 post-ne

SUBMITTER: Bekele Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12114251 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature