Maternal fresh moringa leaf consumption and its association with birth weight in southern Ethiopia: A prospective cohort study

Birth weight is an indicator of neonatal survival and development; however, poor nutrient intake during pregnancy is a primary contributor to low birth weight. Moringa is a multipurpose tree high in macro- and micronutrients. There is insufficient evidence on the relationship between fresh moringa leaf consumption during pregnancy and birth weight. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between maternal fresh moringa leaf consumption on birth weight in southern Ethiopia. A community-based, prospective cohort study design was used with 230 pregnant women who consumed fresh moringa leaves and 230 who did not consume moringa leaves. The mothers were enrolled in their second trimester and monitored until delivery. The structural equation model was used to analyze <i>β</i> coefficients with <i>p</i>-values <.05. The mean birth weight of newborns born to mothers who took fresh moringa leaves during pregnancy was 3334.42 g, which was considerably higher than the non-consumer 3196.73 g (<i>p</i> = .008). Consuming it during pregnancy significantly increased birth weight by 115.77 g compared to non-consumers (<i>β</i> = 115.77; SE = 43.03: <i>p</i> = .007). The study found that eating fresh moringa leaves during pregnancy increased the birth weight of the newborn. As a result, policymakers and managers of mother and child health programs should strive to promote the use of fresh moringa leaves throughout pregnancy. However, more clinical trials are required to discover the ideal/optimal amount per day and duration of fresh moringa leaves for best outcomes.