Based on a vast amount of scientific data from the basal studies with animal experiments and laboratory analyses and with the field surveys and intervention on pregnancies and children, the present programs first carried out the systemic studies in the micronutrient status and supplementation on the health of pregnancies and the growth and development of fetus and children, the results clearly showed that the improvement on micronutrient status really was conductive to the health status of pregnant women and children, and the prevention of congenital malformation and nutrition deficiency prevalence.

The present project mainly included the effect of nutritional factors on the growth and development of fetus and children, pregnant health, and the research and development of health foods with adequate ratio in micronutrients. According to the factorial experiment design of three factors and two levels, the adequate match for calcium, iron and zinc had a beneficial effect on the development of fetus and the growth of newborn animals. By establishing the animal model using mice in vitamin and zinc deficiencies, we have shown that vitamin A and zinc deficiencies in early stage of pregnancy could had harmful effects on the embryo and the increase of congenital malformation, and resulted in the decrease in the gene expression which adverse effect could be prevented by supplementing vitamin and zinc before pregnancy. The nutritional intervention for the children suffered with recessive anemia markedly prevented iron- deficiency anemia(IDA) and decreased the prevalence of IDA. Increasing consumption of green and yellow vegetables in the kindergarten could significantly improve the vitamin A status in children; the supplementation of Ca+Fe+Zn+vitamin D based on the current Chinese RDA for pregnant women is advantage to the infant growth, compared with the single supplement only. It was shown that the combined supplementation of vitamin A and iron was particularly favorable to the improvement of iron status among the pregnant women in middle-term supplemented with vitamin A, iron, iron and vitamin A.

       Children multivitamin chewable and micronutrient tablet for pregnant women have been approved by the Ministry of Public Health as National nutritional supplements, which products in formula were combined with the dietary characteristics of the Chinese children and pregnant women and could be taken for a long time without side-effects. These products can be used for improving the nutritional status of children and pregnant women and will produce huge economic returns and social effect.