ABSTRACT
Although the 1,000-day period between conception and a child's second birthday is paramount in building a strong foundation for the child's life, the significance of the preconception period must not be ignored. Women's preconception nutrition influences pregnancy outcomes by affecting the supply of nutrients early in pregnancy, which in turn influences fetal development. Women of reproductive age are vulnerable to malnutrition in any of its forms: undernutrition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, or overweight and obesity. Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) can result from an inadequate dietary intake, low bioavailability of dietary nutrients, and increased nutrient requirements. A mother's micronutrient status is a strong determinant of her baby's nutritional status, as micronutrients are transferred from mother to fetus across the placental barrier. Nutritional factors can affect both male and female cells during embryonic and fetal development. Clinicians and researchers emphasize that many effective prenatal care interventions would achieve better outcomes if started during the preconceptional period.
