The Role of Micronutrients in Maternal Health and Child Development: A literature review

Maternal and child undernutrition remains a major global public health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Pregnancy represents a critical period characterized by increased nutritional requirements to support maternal physiological adaptation, placental function, and fetal growth and development. Inadequate intake of essential micronutrients during this period may lead to adverse maternal outcomes and long-term consequences for child health. This literature review aims to synthesize current evidence on the role of key micronutrients in maternal health and child development and to identify research gaps relevant to clinical nutrition practice. The review highlights that deficiencies in iron, folate, iodine, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin D are associated with maternal anemia, pregnancy complications, impaired fetal growth, and suboptimal physical, immune, and neurocognitive development in children. While iron–folic acid supplementation remains a cornerstone of antenatal care, emerging evidence suggests that multiple micronutrient supplementation may offer broader benefits in populations with a high burden of concurrent deficiencies. In conclusion, optimizing micronutrient intake during pregnancy is essential to improve maternal and child health outcomes. Comprehensive and context-specific micronutrient interventions integrated into antenatal care are crucial to reducing the long-term burden of undernutrition.