Meeting Micronutrient Requirements for Health and Development

Meeting macro- and micronutrient requirements during pregnancy and early childhood is crucial for short- and long-term health and cognitive function. Meta-analyses confirm that supplementation or fortification of food with the 'big four' (vitamin A, iron, zinc, and iodine) is efficacious to reduce the risk of infectious disease and improves growth and cognitive outcome. More recently, folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies during pregnancy have been shown to be associated with poor neurodevelopment