ABSTRACT
Maternal nutrition during gestation has long been acknowledged as one of the most important factors contributing to pregnancy outcomes. We are only beginning to understand how maternal nutrition and intrauterine environment may impact not only immediate pregnancy outcomes, but also health throughout the course of the offspring’s life. Associations between maternal nutrition and infant growth and development suggest that improving the diets of women of child-bearing age might be an important component of public health strategies aimed at improving the health, nutrition, and well-being of women themselves as well as reducing the burden of chronic disease in their offspring.
