Journal
WOMENS HEALTH
Volume 4, Issue 6, Pages 639-656Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.2217/17455057.4.6.639
Keywords
birthweight; brain development; maternal nutrition; multivitamin supplementation; pregnancy
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The prenatal period encompasses a critical window for future health and functioning of mother and child. Attention previously focused on undernutrition risk (i.e., in developing countries and famine conditions) shifted to mismatch between prenatal 'programming' by undernutrition and postnatal overconsumption (i.e., low birthweight vs rapid postnatal growth), now to overconsumption/overweight throughout the reproductive cycle and short-and long-term health risks, including obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, overconsumption/overweight do not guarantee adequacy of critical nutrients (i.e., against birth defects or for brain development). Multinutrient supplementation - including zinc, iodine, choline and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially n-3 - may have advantages over single-nutrient supplements, for example, iron or folate. Future nutritional care for healthy in utero programming may necessitate individual assessment and follow-up, including preconception nutritional preparation, appropriate weight gain, metabolic balance and food-based regimens enhanced by key nutrient fortification and/or supplementation, warranting further research into nutritional optimization of pregnancy outcomes.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available