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Nutrition of pregnant mothers in developing countries

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Book cover Recent Developments in Infant Nutrition

Part of the book series: Tenth Nutricia Symposium ((NUSY,volume 9))

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Abstract

In an attempt to attain delivery of a full-term, well-developed and healthy infant considerable attention has focused on nutritional status, weight gain and dietary intake of the pregnant mother. While achieving optimal outcomes in developed countries is within reach, less developed countries (LDC) remain slow to eradicate problems of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Pregnancy commits the mother to a considerable investment of resources which must be met by a combination of increased dietary intake and mobilization of body stores. Since fertility tends to be suppressed only under conditions of severe malnutrition, in many countries conception and development of the fetus commonly proceed under conditions of marginal nourishment. Undernutrition during pregnancy is certainly one of the major causes of both maternal and infant mortality in LDC. Approximately 500000 pregnant women in LDC die each year, mainly as a result of haemorrhage, sepsis, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), obstructed labour and anaemia (1, Fig. 1). In many cases both obstructed labour and anaemia can be attributed directly to problems of undernutrition, as may HDP. Considerable evidence also suggests that maternal diet and nutritional status can significantly affect birth outcome. Twenty million low birth weight (LBW) infants are born worldwide (1) and maternal undernutrition is commonly cited as a cause for retarded fetal growth, malformations of the central nervous system such as spina bifida and hydrocephalus, and prematurity. Both premature and small-for-date babies are at considerable increased risk during their early years of life.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

body mass index (weight/height2)

BMR:

basal metabolic rate

HDP:

hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

IUGR:

intrauterine growth retardation

LBW:

low birth weight

LDC:

less developed country

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  1. S. D. Poppitt
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  1. Nutricia Research, PO Box 1, 2700 MA, Zoetermeer, The Netherlands

    J. G. Bindels  & A. C. Goedhart  & 

  2. Ghisebrecht Bokellaan 29, 3054 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    H. K. A. Visser

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© 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Poppitt, S.D. (1996). Nutrition of pregnant mothers in developing countries. In: Bindels, J.G., Goedhart, A.C., Visser, H.K.A. (eds) Recent Developments in Infant Nutrition. Tenth Nutricia Symposium, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1790-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1790-3_2

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