1. Introduction
wasting, stunting
WASTING, STUNTING
The prevalence of stunting in young children is associated with poor growth during the prenatal and early postnatal periods. A maternal mentoring program was developed for Indonesian women to improve birth outcomes. A cluster-randomized controlled trial (CRCT) was conducted in three sub-districts of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A total of 384 eligible participants were randomly allocated to either an intervention (received the maternal mentoring program and standard care; Maternal and child health is a pressing health challenge worldwide. Restricted linear growth in particular presents major public health implications for under-resourced communities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) [Stunting can result from inadequate fetal growth, which is typically characterized by having a birth weight that does not match the gestational age at birth (referred to as ‘Small for Gestational Age (SGA)’). SGA babies born at term have a 2.43-times greater risk of stunting and a 2.52-times greater risk of wasting compared with normal-weight babies, and not surprisingly, those born preterm are at even greater risk (a 4.51-times greater risk of stunting and a 4.19-times greater risk of wasting) [Moreover, despite intervention approaches aimed at ensuring pregnant women receive adequate early prenatal care, many settings where birth outcomes are poor have not seen substantial improvements [Preconception health services, including maternal mentoring programs, typically involve a series of interventions aimed at identifying and modifying behaviors pertaining to biomedical and social risks associated with maternal and child health before, during, and after pregnancy [Many women in under-resourced settings are not well equipped to adopt certain health-related behaviors prior to becoming pregnant. Relatedly, potential risks associated with poor pregnancy outcomes are more likely to arise in women who are unaware of these risks or their consequences and are often unprepared for pregnancy. Therefore, when made readily accessible, preconception health services can serve as a protective factor by providing pregnant women with adequate health services before their babies enter crucial stages of development [To date, no preconception interventions have been developed and tested in Indonesia. Given the current state of maternal and child outcomes in this setting, there is a strong need for interventions that target preconception in Indonesian women. The present study sought to examine the impact of a maternal mentoring program provided to Indonesian women during preconception and pregnancy on fetal growth and birth weight [