Note that the researchers aim to affect pre-eclampsia as well as anemia with their unique formulation. At present the team aims to test in Bangladesh starting in 12-18 months.
A team of researchers at SickKids, including Drs. Daniel Roth, Stan Zlotkin, and Diego Bassani, are leading an international collaboration to address these technical barriers to calcium supplementation in low-resource settings. Their idea is to apply techniques used in the pharmaceutical industry to encapsulate iron and calcium in special dissolvable coatings that will enable the two nutrients to be absorbed in different parts of the bowel. Combined in a powdered formulation called "Prenatal Sprinkles," this innovation is designed to enable the incorporation of both iron and calcium supplements into routine prenatal care in low-resource, rural settings.
The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, through its affiliate SickKids are developing a daily microencapsulated micronutrient powder that contains iron, folic acid, and calcium called "Prenatal Sprinkles." The prenatal supplements are to be taken by pregnant women in rural settings and can potentially reduce maternal hypertensive disease related mortality by 20% and preterm birth by 24%. The powder will contain differential time-released nutrients, help with iron and calcium absorption, prevent calcium-iron interactions and have a smooth texture and appealing flavor. The Hospital is currently partnering with private sector companies and will eventually manufacture their product at a low cost. This technology came to our attention through the Saving Lives at Birth Challenge, 2011. USAID, the Government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and The World Bank have joined to launch Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development.
This new version is designed for use by pregnant women in low-income countries as a means of delivering microencapsulated calcium, iron and folic acid to address the long-standing critical health problems associated with two conditions: anemia in pregnancy, associated with premature birth, and preeclampsia associated with hypertension, a major cause of maternal and fetal death. Anemia is prevented by the use of iron and preeclampsia is prevented by the use of calcium. However, to date, combining iron and calcium has not been possible as the calcium interferes with iron absorption. The new product will contain pH-sensitive time-release microencapsulated iron and calcium to overcome this problem, thus enabling both nutrients to be safely delivered together.
