Postpartum dietary supplement Batrisu vasanu improves growth parameters of infants, finds study
Pregnancy brings about multiple physiological changes in order to support growing fetus in the womb, and the changing body metabolism. The rapid growth and development of a child depends solely on the nutritional status of mother. However, it is evident from the reports of National Health & Family Survey that the malnutrition among adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and children is alarmingly high. Growth in infancy is a complex process, influenced by diet, nutritional status and health of the mother, socioeconomic status, cultural practices, and breastfeeding.
To meet the daily requirements postpartum, Iron folic acid supplementation is widely practiced by the gynecologists. However, a cross-sectional study from eastern India on postpartum women, reported that only 20.8% of participants complied with supplementation due to lack of counselling, awareness, socio-cultural beliefs, misconceptions. This points at gross negligence of self-healthduring lactation period by Indian mothers. This lacuna can be rectified by the health and nutrition education intervention, which can improve the overall dietary behaviors, and take away some of the unhealthy traditional postpartum practices.
Although knowledge about benefit or harm using traditional practices during postpartum is lacking, mothers practice it due to their generational belief in them. Various traditional practices related to food or herbal formulations namely Halua, Harira, Sothoura, Laddus, Methi laddus, Path, medicinal water, medicated oils, decoctions, and Batrisu vasanu are widely reported in studies from India. However, the comprehensive studies on their effects - positive, negative, or neutral - are still ongoing and inconclusive. This study was conducted to examine the effects of two postpartum practices on infants: methi laddus and batrisu vasanu.
A total of 38 mothers prospectively enrolled to evaluate the effect of dietary supplement use, namely methi-laddus and batrisu vasanu, on the growth parameters of infants. They were enrolled during antenatal visit and were followed up to 2-months postpartum, using semi-structured questionnaire and clinical proforma. Demographic details, clinical details and development parameters of infant were observed.
Participants of similar demographic characteristics were divided into three cohorts as unexposed, exposed group 1 (methi-laddus users) and exposed group 2 (batrisu vasanu users). Exposed group 2 showed significantly increased weight velocity (p value £ 0.001) and growth velocity (p value £ 0.001) than both the other cohorts. Mothers of exposed groups 1 and 2 both had sufficient lactation postpartum, as noted in clinical proforma.
Present study on Indian mothers found that mothers do practice traditional herbal preparations, in addition to modern medicines. There is no direct relation observed to socioeconomic status, or health issues, or nutritional status of mothers for using traditional practices. The mothers practicing methi-laddus and batrisu vasanu were observed with better lactation than non-users. This clinical study concludes that batrisu vasanu is an effective postpartum supplement, significantly enhancing the weight and growth velocity of children when used by mothers.
Source: Charola et al. / Indian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research 2026;13(1):116–121
