Background: Phytate, a potent inhibitor of calcium, iron, and zinc absorption, may hamper the bioavailability of these micronutrients at the time of pregnancy. This study assessed dietary phytate intake and its inhibitory effect on the bioavailability of calcium, iron, and zinc from the diets of pregnant women in rural Bangladesh. The study also explored significant determinants that predicted the absorption of these minerals from the diet. Methods: A multiple pass recall (MPR) approach was used for this study, with in-depth probing interview covering 24-h dietary recall conducted among 717 pregnant women who were in either their second or third trimester. Results: The mean daily phytate, calcium, iron and zinc intake of the pregnant women were found to be 695.1, 192.2, 5.1, and 5.7 mg respectively. The mean molar ratios of phytate to calcium, iron, zinc and (phytate x calcium)/zinc were 0.27, 12.8, 11.2, and 54.8 respectively. All the molar ratios were found to be significantly higher in a group with the highest phytate intake compared to other intake groups. Phytate inhibited iron absorption from the diet of all the pregnant women sampled, and inhibited calcium absorption among 52 % of the women while inhibition of zinc absorption was not found in a notable number (12 %) of the pregnant women. When using multivariate models, phytate intake, inadequate micronutrient intake, gestational age, and energy intake significantly predicted the variance in phytate to mineral molar ratios. The predicting models calculated about 92 %, 88 %, and 89 % variance in phytate to calcium, iron, and zinc molar ratios respectively. Phytate to calcium, iron, and zinc molar ratios would be expected to be respectively 0.05, 2.48, and 1.96 points higher for every 100 mg increment in daily phytate intake. Conclusions: Phytate intake was found to inhibit the bioavailability of iron and calcium from the diets of pregnant women. Moreover, phytate was one of the strongest inhibitory predictors of calcium, iron and zinc bioavailability.

We analyzed the temporal trends and significant changes in apparent food consumption or availabilityin Bangladesh from 1961 to 2013. Due to the lack of a long-term national dietary intake dataset, this study used data derived from the FAO’s food balance sheets. We used joinpoint regression analysis to identify significant changes in the temporal trends. The annual percent change (APC) was computed for each segment of the trends. Apparent intake of starchy roots, eggs, fish, vegetables, milk, and vegetable oils significantly has increased (p < 0.05) in the Bangladeshi diet since 1961; whereas cereals changed by merely 4.65%. Bangladesh has been experiencing three structural changes in their dietary history after the Liberation War, though the intake level has been grossly inadequate. Initially, since the late-1970s, apparent vegetable oils intake increased at a market rate (APC = 7.53). Subsequently, since the early-1990s, the real force behind the structural change in the diet has been the increasing trends in the apparent intake of fish (APC = 5.05), eggs (APC = 4.65), and meat (APC = 1.54). Lastly, since the early 2000s, apparent intakes of fruits (APC = 20.44), vegetables (APC = 10.58), and milk (APC = 3.55) increased significantly (p <0.05). This study result reveals and quantifies the significant secular changes in the dietary history of Bangladesh from 1961 to 2013. Bangladesh has experienced inadequate but significant structural changes in the diet in the late-1970s, early-1990s, and early-2000s. Overabundance of cereals and inadequate structural changes in the diet may have caused the increasing prevalence of overweightness and emergence of diet-related, non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh.

IntroductionNeonatal mortality associated with preterm birth can be reduced with antenatal corticosteroids (ACS), yet <10% of eligible pregnant women in low-middle income countries. The inability to accurately determine gestational age (GA) leads to under-identification of high-risk women who could receive ACS or other interventions. To facilitate better identification in low-resource settings, we developed a color-coded tape for uterine height (UH) measurement and estimated its accuracy identifying preterm pregnancies.MethodsWe designed a series of colored-coded tapes with segments corresponding to UH measurements for 20–23.6 weeks, 24.0–35.6 weeks, and >36.0 weeks GA. In phase 1, UH measurements were collected prospectively in the Democratic Republic of Congo, India and Pakistan, using distinct tapes to address variation across regions and ethnicities. In phase 2, we tested accuracy in 250 pregnant women with known GA from early ultrasound enrolled at prenatal clinics in Argentina, India, Pakistan and Zambia. Providers masked to the ultrasound GA measured UH. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was conducted.Results1,029 pregnant women were enrolled. In all countries the tapes were most effective identifying pregnancies between 20.0–35.6 weeks, compared to the other GAs. The ROC areas under the curves and 95% confidence intervals were: Argentina 0.69 (0.63, 0.74); Zambia 0.72 (0.66, 0.78), India 0.84 (0.80, 0.89), and Pakistan 0.83 (0.78, 0.87). The sensitivity and specificity (and 95% confidence intervals) for identifying pregnancies between 20.0–35.6 weeks, respectively, were: Argentina 87% (82%–92%) and 51% (42%–61%); Zambia 91% (86%–95%) and 50% (40%–60%); India 78% (71%–85%) and 89% (83%–94%); Pakistan 63% (55%–70%) and 94% (89%–99%).ConclusionsWe observed moderate-good accuracy identifying pregnancies ≤35.6 weeks gestation, with potential usefulness at the community level in low-middle income countries to facilitate the preterm identification and interventions to reduce preterm neonatal mortality. Further research is needed to validate these findings on a population basis.

We analyzed the temporal trends and significant changes in apparent energy and macronutrient intakes in the Bangladeshi diet from 1961 to 2017. Due to the lack of a long-running national dietary intake dataset, this study used the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s old and new food balance sheet dataset. We used the joinpoint regression model and jump model to analyze the temporal trends in apparent energy and macronutrient intakes. The annual percentage change (APC) was computed for each segment of the trends. Bangladesh has experienced a late energy revolution in their dietary history. During the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Bangladesh was suffering from substantive calorie deficits, where in apparent energy intake was less than 2200 kcal/day/person. Since the late 1990s, Bangladesh has made significant progress in raising the apparent energy consumption in the diet. Since the late 1970s, apparent fat intake started to increase significantly at a marked rate (APC = 2.16), whereas since the early 1990s, protein intake increased significantly by 1.33% per year. Plant sources have mostly governed the protein and fat intake trends in the Bangladeshi diet since 1960, whereas animal sources began to contribute significantly in protein intake since 1990 (APC = 3.43) and in fat intake since 2000 (APC = 2.88). Bangladesh overcame the substantive calorie deficit condition in the diet from the late 1990s. Excessive carbohydrate intake along with imbalanced and low-quality protein and fat intakes have been the central features in the diet in Bangladesh.

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In this research, heavy metal accumulation pattern was investigated using the data measured from the soil, paddy plants, and irrigation water samples in Jessore district in Bangladesh with the aid of principal component analysis. A total of 28 samples representing farmland soil and irrigation water along with paddy plant were collected from 28 locations in the Jessore district in November 2016. In agricultural soil, arsenic (As) and nickel (Ni) were found 2.78 and 1.11 times more concentrated than their background values. In addition, 89% of the sample sites exhibited enhanced As concentrations relative to the background value. Principal component analysis (PCA) of soil data showed strong homogeneity in many species (e.g., Ni, Cu, Fe, and As) to reflect intense agricultural activities. In contrast, Pb showed no such homogeneity in soil accumulation pattern. In plant samples, Cu, Fe, and As were strongly correlated and homologous. This homology of pollution was in agreement with the pollution homology in the agricultural soil in which the plants were grown. In irrigation water, Cu and Ni were homologous. Observation of spatial distribution and other variables indicated that the accumulation of any particular metal in paddy plants was correlated with its content in soil and irrigation water, which was influenced by the soil organic matter, soil/water pH, and other metals present in that environment.

The current condition of ensuring WHO-recommended newborn and young child feeding practice is becoming a challenge in many developing nations, particularly in places where family food security is threatened. Because many households in underdeveloped nations frequently face acute food shortage due to poverty, optimal child nutrition is jeopardized. The purpose of this study was to analyze the child feeding behaviors of mothers with children aged 0-24 months and to investigate their household food insecurity in a coastal region of Bangladesh, Suborno Char (one of Noakhali District’s coastal neighbourhoods) was studied from October 2019 to April 2020. In this study, a cross-sectional survey with multistage sampling technique was employed, and Suborno Char of Noakhlai district was purposely sampled of 400 women and their children aged 0-24 months. Data were obtained using a standard questionnaire and were analyzed using statistical functions in SPSS 20.0.0. Exclusive breastfeeding 53.5%, timely supplemental feeding 75.5%, and feeding children meals from homemade, canned/formula/fortified, both homemade and canned, milk these 4 food groups were at 22.2%. The moms' education level was strongly associated with their child feeding practices. Mothers from food insecure homes were less likely to exclusively breastfeed than mothers from food secure households after drawing interpretation of univariate & multivariate analysis of variables crude odds ratio (COR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and confidence interval (CI) (COR .233 at 95% CI 0.083, .655 and AOR .478 at 95% CI 0.133, 1.713). Similar outcomes were seen for early complementary feeding and minimal dietary diversification of children. In conclusion, this study discovered a less dietary inclusion trend of child feeding practices among moms (0-24 months childbearing) in Bangladesh’s coastal region.

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