Key points
- Vitamins and minerals, called micronutrients, are critical for healthy development, disease prevention, and well-being.
- Infants, children, adolescent girls, women of reproductive age, and pregnant women are the most likely groups to have deficiencies.
- ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø is working in the United States to improve micronutrient intake.
The problem
Micronutrient deficiencies can have significant consequences on our health and well-being, yet:
- Approximately 1 in 4 U.S. women has iron deficiency during pregnancy.
- Approximately 1 in 8 U.S. women aged 12 to 49 has iron deficiency.
- More than half of children younger than 5 worldwide suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
What ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø is doing
Through the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO), ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø works to:
- Identify and monitor iodine, iron, and anemia levels among groups at risk for deficiencies.
- Provide practical strategies for feeding healthy foods and drinks to infants and toddlers.
- Work with partners to engage pediatricians in advising on the importance of good nutrition practices for young children.
- Help public health partners:
- Develop guidelines on vitamin and mineral interventions as well as assess anemia and micronutrient status.
- Design, monitor, and evaluate interventions such as mass food fortification, home fortification, and micronutrient supplementation.
- Build laboratory capacity for vitamin and mineral biomarker monitoring. This is in collaboration with the Nutritional Biomarkers Branch in ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's Division of Laboratory Sciences.
- Develop guidelines on vitamin and mineral interventions as well as assess anemia and micronutrient status.
- Develop guidelines on vitamin and mineral interventions as well as assess anemia and micronutrient status.
DNPAO's surveillance efforts help to inform, develop, monitor, and evaluate policies and programs that address micronutrient deficiencies, especially for women, infants, young children, and adolescents.