Vegetarian and vegan diets have increased worldwide in the last decades, according to the knowledge that they might prevent coronary heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Althought plant-based diets are at risk of nutritional deficiencies such as proteins, iron, vitamin D, calcium, iodine, omega-3, and vitamin B12, the available evidence shows that well planned vegetarian and vegan diets may be considered safe during pregnancy and lactation, but they require a strong awareness for a balanced intake of key nutrients. A review of the scientific literature in this field was performed, focusing specifically on observational studies in humans, in order to investigate protective effects elicited by maternal diets enriched in plant-derived foods and possible unfavorable outcomes related to micronutrients deficiencies and their impact on fetal development. A design of pregestational nutrition intervention is required in order to avoid maternal undernutrition and consequent impaired fetal growth.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has represented a major impact to health systems and societies worldwide. The generation of knowledge about the disease has occurred almost as fast as its global expansion. The mother and fetus do not seem to be at particularly high risk. Nevertheless, obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine practice have suffered profound changes to adapt to the pandemic. In addition, there are aspects specific to and gestation that should be known by specialists in order to correctly diagnose the disease, classify the severity, distinguish specific signs of COVID-19 from those of obstetric complications, and take the most appropriate management decisions. In this review we present in a highly concise manner an evidence-based protocol for the management of CO-VID-19 in pregnancy. We briefly contemplate all relevant as-pects that we believe a specialist in obstetrics and maternal medicine should know, ranging from basic concepts about the disease and protection measures in the obstetric setting to more specific aspects related to maternal-fetal management and childbirth.[1]. With 220,000 infections and more than 22,000 deaths, Spain is the third country in number of cases [1]. In this paper, we aimed to share our management protocol and address considerations for maternal-fetal medicine practice based on a qualitative review of existing data. Disease TransmissionAvailable information [2] suggests that the infection was originally zoonotic. Still, the current transmission is person to person by respiratory droplets after contact with an infected person (< 2 m) or direct contact with contaminated surfaces by infected secretions [3]. Transmission could also occur through infected faeces, but the propagation throughout this route is much less relevant [4]. The possibility of vertical transmission is highly unlikely and has not been demonstrated in the Chinese CO-VID-19 outbreak [5] or in previous epidemics by other similar coronaviruses (severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS]-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome [MERS]-CoV) [6,7]. Based on limited data, there is no evidence of the presence of the virus in genital fluids, urine, amniotic fluid, or breast milk [8]. The low maternal viremia found in this infection [9] also suggests a negligible placental seeding. However, most data on vertical transmission are based on women who had infection during the third trimester, and information regarding vertical transmission earlier in pregnancy is lacking.Reported cases of newborn infection probably came from horizontal transmission. The usual incubation period is about 4-6 days, which can vary between 2 and 14 days [10]. The median duration of viral shedding is 20.0 days (being the 75th centile at 24 days) [11].

The consumption of alcohol and drugs of abuse among pregnant women has experienced a significant increase in the last decades. Suitable maternal nutritional status is crucial to maintain the optimal environment for fetal development but if consumption of alcohol or drugs of abuse disrupt the intake of nutrients, the potential teratogenic effects of these substances increase. Despite evidence of the importance of nutrition in addicted pregnant women, there is a lack of information on the effects of alcohol and drugs of abuse on maternal nutritional status; so, the focus of this review was to provide an overview on the nutritional status of addicted mothers and fetuses. Alcohol and drugs consumption can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, impairing the quality and quantity of proper nutrient and energy intake, resulting in malnutrition especially of micronutrients (vitamins, omega–3, folic acid, zinc, choline, iron, copper, selenium). When maternal nutritional status is compromised by alcohol and drugs of abuse the supply of essential nutrients are not available for the fetus; this can result in fetal abnormalities like Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). It is critical to find a strategy to reduce fetal physical and neurological impairment as a result of prenatal alcohol and drugs of abuse exposure combined with poor maternal nutrition. Prenatal nutrition interventions and target therapy are required that may reverse the development of such abnormalities.