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Supplemental Nutrition Programs During Pregnancy and the Early Postnatal Period

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Book cover Reducing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Reproductive and Perinatal Outcomes

Abstract

Pregnancy has been recognized as a period of special nutritional needs across cultures and for many generations. Mothers who have adequate food and good quality nutritional intake generally have better birth outcomes. In cultures where food is scarce, pregnant women may be given extra servings­ of high quality protein items such as eggs or milk or other scarce but nutritious foods when there isn’t sufficient supply for everyone to consume them. However, formal programs to improve ­women’s nutrition during pregnancy as a strategy to improve birth outcomes are relatively recent. This is ­particularly the case in industrialized countries such as the United States where chronic undernutrition is not endemic. This chapter examines the evidence base for programs that seek to improve birth outcomes through improving pregnant women’s nutritional intake and nutrition ­education. It begins with a brief overview of the role of nutrition in pregnancy, followed by a discussion of the foundation for WIC, the major U.S. prenatal nutrition intervention. A critical evaluation is then presented of the evidence for WIC and selected other programs in reducing low birth weight (LBW) and in reducing racial/ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the relevance of the findings for practitioners along with suggestions for future research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maternal Child Health Program, Community Health Sciences Division, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, 1603 W. Taylor MC923, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Noel Chávez

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  1. Noel Chávez
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, West Taylor Street 1603, Chicago, 60612-4394, Illinois, USA

    Arden Handler

  2. School of Public Health, Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, West Taylor Street 1603, Chicago, 60612-4394, Illinois, USA

    Joan Kennelly

  3. School of Public Health, Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, West Taylor Street 1603, Chicago, 60612-4394, Illinois, USA

    Nadine Peacock

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Chávez, N. (2011). Supplemental Nutrition Programs During Pregnancy and the Early Postnatal Period. In: Handler, A., Kennelly, J., Peacock, N. (eds) Reducing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Reproductive and Perinatal Outcomes. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1499-6_14

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