The requirement for micronutrients increases dramatically during pregnancy, both to safeguard foetal growth and development, and to preserve the mother.
The most important are folic acid and iron, both of which are included in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations for supplementation among women worldwide.
Iron requirements more than double during pregnancy to about 30 mg/day due to foeto-placental demands and maternal red blood cell expansion,10 while daily supplementation of folic acid (400–800 μg) is recommended to reduce the risk of neural tube defects.
New mothers – particularly those living in low-income countries – will also benefit from supplementation11 with calcium, magnesium, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), iodine, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and D.
A 2022 study12 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that prenatal choline supplementation improved hepatic DHA export and biomarkers of DHA status among pregnant participants taking supplemental DHA.
Inadequate milk production is a common reason for stopping breastfeeding, leading some to turn to purported galactogogues such as fenugreek and milk thistle13 to stimulate milk production.
However, the evidence to support this is limited.
