Limited data are available to inform a basic understanding of micronutrient requirements in pregnancy.

October 22, 2021 - Volume 7, Issue 43 - DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj8016

Commentary

Women and pregnant people have historically been underrepresented in research, and this may extend to basic research that informs nutrient reference values such as the US and Canadian Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs).

After screening 23 micronutrient DRI reports, we extracted metadata from 704 studies.

Studies that used rigorous design elements, such as controlled feeding or stable isotope studies, were most likely to include only males, and the majority of studies (> 90%) did not report race and ethnicity.

While the nutrient reference values are intended for use in the general population, we found that the basic science informing these values may not be generalizable.

What we have is an urgent call to funders and researchers to address the fundamental gaps in our knowledge with quality research.