[Supplements during pregnancy: fad or necessity?].

Needs for vitamins and micronutriments, enzyme cofactors in various metabolic processes, are notably increased during pregnancy in order to satisfy the requirements of fetal and placental growth. Limited maternal stores and an often inadequate dietary intake lead to deficiency, the materno-foetal consequences of which are beginning to be discerned: supplements thus appear to be useful. While there is hardly any discussion regarding iron and calcium, the authors feel that it should be broader, including water-soluble vitamins, magnesium and trace elements, in such a way as to deal with widely encountered microdeficiencies and with metabolic inter-relations. Recent studies appear to show that, rather than being selective and seeking out a "high risk" population, supplements should be given routinely to all pregnant women because of their low costs in relation to expected health benefits.