Micronutrient supplements during pregnancy: indications, recommended doses and effects

Ieva Vaitkevičiūtė1

1Jonava hospital 

Abstract

During pregnancy, women undergo drastic physical changes; during this time, a fetus also grows and develops intensively. Adequate intake of vitamins and minerals is necessary for these processes, while lack of them can be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes as well as poor health of a mother and a newborn. Eating a healthy, varied diet is usually enough to get most of the needed vitamins and minerals. However, even then it is recommended to take some supplements, such as folic acid, additionally. This article will present recommended dietary allowances of microelements during pregnancy and while lactating; adverse conditions in case of their deficiency or excess; review recent studies about the effect of the use of dietary supplements on pregnancy outcomes, maternal and newborn health, after taking them during pregnancy routinely or as a treatment for microelement deficiency.

Keywords: pregnancy, microelements, dietary supplements, recommended daily intake (RDA)