Micronutrients in pregnancy: Current knowledge and unresolved questions

Micronutrient status is increasingly recognized to play an important role in the health and well-being of pregnant women and in the development and long-term health of the offspring. On 26th - 28th February 2009, The Child Health Foundation invited leading experts in this area to a scientific workshop at Obergurgl, Austria to review and critically discuss current knowledge, to identify issues that may need to be addressed in future recommendations, and to highlight priorities and opportunities for future research. This report summarizes updated key conclusions of the workshop with regards to micro-nutrients' intake and physiological role related to mother, placenta and fetus, as well as relevance for adverse pregnancy and long-term outcomes. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.