EC Nutrition

Review Article Volume 18 Issue 8 - 2023

The Effects of Major Micronutrients Based Food Fortification in Terms to Prevent Micronutrient Deficiencies for Children in Rural Bangladesh

Amimul Ehsan1*, AK Naseruzzaman2, Md Rafiqul Islam3, Susankar Kumar Mondal4, Mohammad Hafiz Al-Mamun5, Dhiraj Chandra Biswas6, Sanjoy Kumar Saha7 and Md Shaidur Rahman8

1Associate Professor (Ex), Department of Pediatrics, Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
2Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Child and Mother Health (ICMH), Dhaka, Bangladesh
3Consultant, Pediatrics, Kalatiya Modern Hospital (Pvt.) Ltd., Keranigonj, Dhaka, Bangladesh
4Associate Professor, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh
5Consultant, Department of Pediatrics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh
6Assistant Registrar, Narayanganj 300 Bed Hospital, Narayanganj, Bangladesh
7Consultant, Pediatrics, Mita Nursing Home, Narsingdi, Bangladesh
8Resident Physician, Department of Pediatrics, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
*Corresponding Author: Amimul Ehsan, Associate Professor (Ex), Department of Pediatrics, Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Received: September 25, 2023; Published: September 29, 2023



Micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, are essential in trace levels for normal bodily functioning, development, and enhanced resistance to illness. They must be received from outside the body because the body can't produce them on its own. Children, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of malnutrition on physical and cognitive development. Meals fortification is a healthy and efficient method of enhancing micronutrient consumption by adding essential elements in meals. Long-term development objectives are impacted by micronutrient deficiencies. The educational campaign is important because it raises public knowledge about the value of food fortification and the role it may play in improving people's health. The micronutrient insufficiency situation in rural children in Bangladesh is discussed in depth in this article. Existing intervention initiatives are examined, as are their successes and current challenges. Nearly half of all pregnant and nursing moms suffer from anemia. Ignorance, poor diet, poor cleanliness, sickness, malabsorption, and infestation are only few of the fundamental characteristics connected to high levels of deficiencies. Several different approaches are being used, and there has been some success. Coverage, quality, and compliance are just some of the ongoing issues. Although contemporary intervention efforts have had some success in treating severe micronutrient deficiencies, they are still a major cause for worry in Bangladesh. Existing intervention programs might benefit from a more holistic strategy. In addition, novel intervention strategies are proposed for treating and preventing specific micronutrient deficiencies.

 Keywords: Food Fortification; Deficiencies; Micronutrients; Sustainable Goals; Policy and Programs

  1. World Health Report. Health Systems: Improving Performance. Geneva: World Health Organization (2000): 206.
  2. Black RE. “Micronutrients in pregnancy”. British Journal of NutritionS2 (2001): S193-S197.
  3. Black RE., et al. “Maternal and child undernutrition: global and regional exposures and health consequences”. Lancet9608 (2008): 243-260.
  4. Global prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in populations at risk 1995-2005. WHO global database on vitamin A deficiency. Geneva: World Health Organization (2009): 55.
  5. Allen LD., et al. “Guidelines on Food Fortification with Micronutrients. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO and FAO (2006): 341.
  6. Leslie J. “Women’s nutrition: the key to improving family health in developing countries”. Health Policy and Plan1 (1991): 1-19.
  7. Caulfield LE., et al. “Potential contribution of maternal zinc supplementation during pregnancy to maternal and child survival”. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition2 (1998): 499S508S.
  8. Benoist B., et al. “Worldwide prevalence of anaemia 1993- 2005: WHO global database on anaemia”. Geneva: World Health Organization (2008): 40.
  9. McLean E., et al. “Review of the magnitude of folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies worldwide”. The Food and Nutrition Bulletin2 (2008): S38-S51.
  10. Das JK., et al. “Micronutrient fortification of food and its impact on woman and child health: a systematic review”. Systematic Reviews 2 (2013): 67.
  11. Smith EA., et al. “Increased whole blood manganese concentrations observed in children with iron deficiency anaemia”. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology: Organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS)1 (2013): 65-69.
  12. Chen K., et al. “Effects of vitamin A, vitamin A plus iron and multiple micronutrient-fortified seasoning powder on preschool children in a suburb of Chongqing, China”. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology6 (2008): 440-447.
  13. Heidari Z., et al. “Iodine status, and knowledge about iodine deficiency disorders in adolescent school girls aged 14-19 years, 2016”. Health Promotion Perspectives1 (2019): 77-84.
  14. Jongstra R., et al. “The effect of zinc-biofortified rice on zinc status of Bangladeshi preschool children: a randomized, double-masked, household-based, controlled trial”. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition3 (2022): 724-737.
  15. Venkatesh Mannar MG and Wesley Annie. “Food Fortification”. International Encyclopedia of Public Health (2008): 622-630.
  16. Burgi H., et al. “Iodine deficiency diseases in Switzerland one hundred years after Theodor Kocher’s survey: a historical review with some new goitre prevalence data”. Acta Endocrinologica6 (1990): 577-590.
  17. Marine D and Kimball OP. “Prevention of simple goiter in man”. Archives of Internal Medicine6 (1920): 661-666.

Amimul Ehsan., et al. “The Effects of Major Micronutrients Based Food Fortification in Terms to Prevent Micronutrient Deficiencies for Children in Rural Bangladesh” ”. EC Nutrition  18.8 (2023): 01-06.