Introduction
micronutrient insufficiencies
LATE PREGNANCY
There is an increasing consensus that multiple micronutrient supplementation of pregnant women living in low-middle-income countries is beneficial for pregnancy outcomes [Recent evidence from animal studies demonstrates that maternal nutritional status prior to conception can have lasting effects on the offspring. This highlights a critical knowledge gap with regard to the importance of maternal micronutrient status before and during human pregnancy [To date, maternal micronutrient status preconception has largely been inferred from pregnancy data, and truly longitudinal studies describing changes from preconception to early and late pregnancy and postpartum have not previously been conducted. The ongoing significant prevalence of micronutrient insufficiencies among adolescent girls and women of reproductive age in high-income countries highlights the importance of documenting such changes [Human trials of micronutrient supplementation commencing before pregnancy remain relatively few in number; while they have not always shown benefits for maternal and offspring outcomes [The NiPPeR trial [