Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to vitamin and mineral deficiencies because of the increase in metabolic demands to meet fetal requirements for growth and development (1). Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency and is the leading cause of anaemia in the general population. An estimated 41.8% of pregnant women worldwide are anaemic (2), and approximately 60% of cases in nonmalarious areas and 50% in malaria-endemic settings are assumed to be due to iron deficiency (3). In addition to iron deficiency, pregnant women, particularly those living in developing countries, are often deficient in multiple other nutrients (1, 4). The causes of the high burden of maternal micronutrient deficiencies include poor access to and consumption of foods with adequate micronutrient content, cultural practices and infections . Vitamin and mineral deficiencies in pregnancy are associated with adverse health outcomes in both the mother and her newborn. For example, iron deficiency accounts for 18% of maternal mortality (5) and is associated with premature delivery and low birth weight (6). Iodine deficiency is the principal cause of preventable brain damage in childhood (7) and leads to thyroid under-function and goitrogenesis in adults (8). Nearly two billion people have insufficient iodine intake, and even subclinical iodine deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage and fetal growth restriction (9). Vitamin A deficiency affects approximately 19 million pregnant women worldwide and is associated with an increased risk of complications and death during pregnancy and in the postpartum period (10, 11). Severe vitamin A deficiency in the mother can also lead to low amounts of vitamin A reserves in the baby, which can negatively affect lung development and survival in the first year of life (12, 13). Other micronutrients of concern during pregnancy are folic acid, vitamin D, zinc and vitamin B1.