Nutrient needs during the life stages of pregnancy and lactation are increased relative to women who are not pregnant or lactating. Mathematical models predict that energy requirements increase by an estimated 300 kcal/day during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and by 500 kcal/day during lactation [1]. In practice, most women will require only approximately 200 additional kcal/day due to reduced levels of physical activity during pregnancy and to increased lipolysis of fat stores during breast-feeding [personal communication with Dr. Berthold Koletzko]. Relative to the increased energy requirement, the requirements for many micronutrients [vitamins and nutritionally essential minerals] are even higher during pregnancy and lactation; this article discusses micronutrient needs during these life stages.
Pregnancy is associated with increased nutritional needs due to physiologic changes of the woman and the metabolic demands of the embryo/fetus. Proper maternal nutrition during pregnancy is thus imperative for the health of both the woman and the offspring. Maternal malnutrition during pregnancy has been associated with adverse outcomes, including increased risk of maternal and infant mortality, as well as low-birth-weight newborns [