ABSTRACT
Pregnancy can be regarded as a three-compartment model, with the mother, placenta, and fetus interacting to ensure proper fetal growth and development. Maternal health, along with maternal diet, body composition, metabolism, and placental nutrient supply, is the main factor that can negatively or positively inuence fetal development. Before reaching the fetus, nutrients from maternal diet are used by the placenta for its own metabolism. The quality and quantity of nutrients that reach the fetus are indeed inuenced by placental shape, size, and characteristics. Placental growth and development are inuenced by the maternal diet itself.
