JiVitA-3: Antenatal Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation to Improve Maternal and Infant Health and Survival in Bangladesh
JiVitA-3 is a double-masked, 36,000 pregnancy, randomized community trial to be carried out at the JiVitA research site in NW Bangladesh. JiVitA-3 will compare the effects of a micronutrient supplement containing an approximate recommended dietary allowance during pregnancy for 15 vitamins and minerals to a “standard of care” supplement containing iron and folic acid (“active control”).
The trial’s primary aim will be to assess impact on six-month infant mortality, with a capability to discern a reduction of 15% or more. Secondary aims will include evaluating plausible effects of nutrient supplementation on infant and mother outcomes, including size at birth, fetal loss including miscarriage and stillbirth, perinatal, neonatal and postneonatal mortality of infants, infant morbidity and growth, as well as maternal health.
The proposed design, size, efficiencies of start-up, and capabilities to investigate the proposed breadth of outcomes reflect substantial co-investment of USAID and the Gates Foundation over the past six years into JiVitA capabilities as a leading population-based, nutrition, and health research site in Asia. Additional support has been provided by the Sight and Life Research Institute (Baltimore, MD) and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Collaborating Institutions for this project are the Institute of Nutrition at Mahidol University (Thailand), the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, Dhaka University (Bangladesh), and DSM (Basel, Switzerland).
Principal Investigator: Keith P. West, Jr. (JHSPH)
Co-Principal Investigators: Parul Christian and Alain Labrique (JHSPH)
Co-Investigators:
- Rolf Klemm (JHSPH)
- Mahbubur Rashid, Senior Medical Epidemiologist, JiVitA Project
- Abu Ahmed Shamim, Senior Nutritionist, JiVitA Project
- Kerry Schulze (JHSPH)
- Joanne Katz (JHSPH)
- Alfred Sommer (JHSPH)