JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Background:

Pregnancy is a crucial stage characterized by an increased demand for various nutrients. The role of micronutrients becomes especially important during pregnancy and infancy to support neurodevelopment. Micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent in low- and middle-income countries due to socio-economic disparities, limited dietary diversities, and barriers to quality antenatal care. This results in women of reproductive age and developing offspring being disproportionately affected. Despite extensive research, evidence remains fragmented, leading to a lack of comprehensive synthesis.

Objective:

Objective:

This scoping review aims to explore the existing evidence on the role of maternal micronutrient status during pregnancy in influencing neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants. Additionally, it will assess the prevalence and distribution of specific micronutrient deficiencies and identify their sociodemographic determinants within South Asian countries.

Methods:

Methods:

This scoping review utilizes an iterative, three-step search strategy to identify both published and grey literature. Initially, a targeted search using relevant keywords was developed for PubMed to locate studies investigating maternal micronutrient status or supplementation during pregnancy (women aged 15–49 years) and associated neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring up to two years of age. The search was sequentially narrowed by geographic region (South Asian countries), study design, human studies, English language publications, and finally, clinical trials. In the second stage, this search strategy will be adapted and implemented across additional electronic databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, OpenGrey, JSTOR, Wiley, as well as trial registries such as ClinicalTrials.gov and PROSPERO. Further, supplementary hand-searching of relevant journals will be conducted. The third step involves applying a snowballing technique to review the bibliographies of initially identified papers. Two reviewers will independently screen studies for eligibility, extract data following the PCC framework, and synthesise results. Findings for each search strategy at each step will be presented in tabular and narrative formats, providing a comprehensive summary of the evidence on maternal micronutrients and infant neurodevelopment. The review will adhere to PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines.

Results:

NA

Conclusions:

Discussion: This review maps evidence on maternal micronutrients and infant neurodevelopment in South Asia, revealing key gaps, uneven data, and the need for targeted research, standardized methods, and multisectoral interventions. Clinical Trial: NA