ABSTRACT
The well-being of infants is critically linked to the prenatal health of their mothers, and to the care their mothers receive during childbirth. Complications in childbirth and pregnancy are the leading cause of death and disability for women of childbearing age in developing countries. A mother's caloric intake and the quality of her diet have a direct effect on an infant's size, birth weight, and vulnerability to stress after birth. Routine prenatal care can determine whether a woman is a good candidate for home birth. If potential complications are identified, she should be referred for professional obstetrical care. Bottle feeding continues to be a troublesome issue. Especially in poor urban areas, conditions do not permit the sanitary precautions necessary for bottle feeding, and a practice promoted as being in the infant's best interest was in fact a threat both to infant health and the household economy.
