Nutrition During Pregnancy and Lactation

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine last reviewed the state of the science on nutrition during pregnancy and lactation 30 years ago with the publication of Nutrition During Pregnancy (IOM, 1990) and Nutrition During Lactation (IOM, 1991). In the intervening period, there have been advancements in evidence on nutrients, dietary patterns, nutritional supplements, and other nutrition-based topics relevant to pregnancy and lactation. On January 29–30, 2020, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies convened a workshop in Washington, DC, to explore where new evidence has emerged. The workshop included, but was not limited to, discussion of the current state of the science on requirements for specific nutrients, relationships between intake during pregnancy and outcomes for the mother and child, alignment of dietary and supplement intake with existing recommendations, factors that affect lactation and human milk composition, and equity in access to nutritional care. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief highlights key points made by participants.