Nutrition and the use of multivitamin and mineral supplements during pregnancy and lactation

A pregnant woman's dietary intake can have a profound effect on the outcomes of pregnancy, and may lead to a risk of disease in the child's later life. This is particularly the case for some vulnerable groups of pregnant women including adolescents, vegetarians and vegans, underweight women, obese women, and women who have undergone bariatric surgery. These groups present nutritional challenges and may require additional supervision during pregnancy. This paper discusses the effects of dietary supplements in relation to the specific needs of the aforementioned groups in comparison to the needs of the general pregnant population.