During pregnancy, women need an increased intake of the trace element selenium. Low selenium intake and status in the pregnant mother will be reflected directly in poor selenium status in newborns [Filipowicz 2022].
Women living in regions with low selenium content in the soil and in the food most likely need a selenium supplement. A study conducted in selenium-poor central Poland has revealed that supplemental selenium in a dosage greater than 55 mcg/day can improve pregnant women’s selenium status [Filipowicz 2022].
In the Polish study, one-third of the mothers reported self-initiated additional selenium intake. For the most part, these women took a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. The tablet added, on average, 42 mcg of selenium to their diets daily. Even so, 79% of these women had serum selenium concentrations below 70 mcg/L (selenium deficiency levels). Moreover, 22% had serum selenium concentrations below 45.9 mcg/L (severe selenium deficiency levels) [Filipowicz 2022].