Objective: The main objectives were to assess the adequacy of the micronutrient intakes of lactating women in a peri-urban area in Nepal and to describe the relationships between micronutrient intake adequacy, dietary diversity and sociodemographic variables. Design: A cross-sectional survey was performed during [2008][2009]. We used 24 h dietary recall to assess dietary intake on three non-consecutive days and calculated the probability of adequacy (PA) of the usual intake of eleven micronutrients and the overall mean probability of adequacy (MPA). A mean dietary diversity score (MDDS) was calculated of eight food groups averaged over 3 d. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the determinants of the MPA. Setting: Bhaktapur municipality, Nepal. Subjects: Lactating women (n 500), 17-44 years old, randomly selected. Results: The mean usual energy intake was 8464 (SD 1305) kJ/d (2023 (SD 312) kcal/d), while the percentage of energy from protein, fat and carbohydrates was 11 %, 13 % and 76 %, respectively. The mean usual micronutrient intakes were below the estimated average requirements for all micronutrients, with the exception of vitamin C and Zn. The MPA across eleven micronutrients was 0·19 (SD 0·16). The diet was found to be monotonous (MDDS was 3·9 (SD 1·0)) and rice contributed to about 60 % of the energy intake. The multiple regression analyses showed that MPA was positively associated with energy intake, dietary diversity, women's educational level and socioeconomic status, and was higher in the winter. Conclusions: The low micronutrient intakes are probably explained by low dietary diversity and a low intake of micronutrient-rich foods. Keywords Dietary diversity Micronutrient adequacyLactating women Peri-urban NepalBreast-feeding is one of the most important factors that can influence child health in low-and middle-income countries (1,2) . During lactation, women have increased requirements for energy and micronutrients (3,4)

Three Recommended Daily Allowances of zinc given daily by caretakers or by field workers substantially reduced the duration of diarrhea. The effect of zinc was not dependent on or enhanced by concomitant vitamin A administration.

Adjuvant treatment with zinc neither reduced the risk of treatment failure nor accelerated recovery in episodes of nonsevere or severe pneumonia. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00148733.