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Supplemental Micronutrients Administration in Pregnant Women with COVID-19: Indicated or Not?
  • Parisa Ghasemiyeh,
  • Afsaneh Vazin
Parisa Ghasemiyeh
Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
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Afsaneh Vazin
Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Corresponding Author:vazeena@sums.ac.ir

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Abstract

More than one year has been passed since the first report of COVID-19 from Wuhan city of China. Soon this virus was spread around the world and became a pandemic and till now, over 122 million people have been infected and over 2.69 million of them have been dead due to COVID-19 infection. Many efforts have been done regarding different aspects of COVID-19 pharmacotherapy and its challenges. Coronavirus can negatively affect the immune system. This complication can be exaggerated in pregnant women with micronutrient and elemental deficiencies. Also, coronavirus itself can induce micronutrients malabsorption and result in their severe deficiencies that can lead to increased risk of infection in these group of patients. The most important micronutrients that can support the immune system are zinc, selenium, iron, vitamin A, C, D, and E. So, it has been suggested that administration of supplemental micronutrients would be helpful to prevent the severe complications of COVID-19 infection in pregnant women [4]. Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy can result in congenital defects, anorectal malformation, schizophrenia, gestational diabetes, and diabetes mellitus. Also, excessive administration of supplemental vitamin A should be avoided during pregnancy. Vitamin C deficiency during pregnancy could be accompanied by several pregnancy complications including gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia. So, administration of supplemental vitamin C would be promising in pregnant women who are infected with new coronavirus to prevent these complications during pregnancy and boosting of the immunity system. VitaminD can play an important role in protection against viral respiratory tract infection.