Narrative review shows Moringa oleifera enhances maternal haematochemical profiles and milk production safely, indicating positive effects on infant health and development.
Key Points
To assess the association between Moringa oleifera supplementation during pregnancy and lactation and maternal-infant health outcomes.
Conducted a narrative review of literature from PubMed and EMBASE databases published between 2018 and March 2023.
Applied the PECO framework to identify studies evaluating pregnant women, mother-child pairs, and Moringa administration.
Screened 85 identified studies to evaluate 18 full-text articles, including 12 studies examining Moringa leaf powder, leaf extracts, or combined formulations.
Moringa oleifera supplementation favorably modulated maternal haematochemical profiles and enhanced breast milk production.
Offspring of supplemented mothers exhibited improved socio-personal development and experienced a lower incidence of morbidity during their first six months of life.
None of the 12 reviewed studies identified contraindications or adverse health effects linked to Moringa supplementation during pregnancy or lactation.