Micronutrient levels in healthy term pregnant mothers and their newborns during the Covid-19 pandemic era

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, it is estimated that 10 million Malaysians, or 30% of the population, will face food insecurity. Environmental factors in early childhood influence neurobehavioral development, early obesity, and the global noncommunicable disease epidemic. Micronutrient levels in pregnant and lactating women are critical for healthy foetal and newborn environments. Our hypothesis was that during the COVID- 19 pandemic, the intrauterine micronutrient environment for foetal development was insufficient or deficient. The objective of this research was to determine the prevalence of micronutrient deficiency (vitamin D, iron, calcium, B12, and folate) in pregnant women and their newborns, as well as the risk factors associated with it. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 115 healthy pregnant women who delivered at Sultan Ahmad Shah Medical Centre @IIUM. Maternal serum was collected 24 hours before delivery, and cord blood was collected at birth. None of the ‘healthy’ mothers had normal levels of all five micronutrients, 70 % had three or four micronutrient deficiencies but none were folate deficient. Only 8 (7 %) newborns had sufficient levels of all five micronutrients, nearly half of newborns had at least one micronutrient deficiency, and more than a quarter had at least two micronutrient deficiencies. The therapeutic window of opportunity begins in the immediate postpartum period, where mothers should exclusively breastfeed. At the same time, micronutrient supplementation should be considered in both lactating mothers and their newborns. Keywords: Micronutrient, COVID-19, DOHa