Nutrition During Pregnancy: Part I, Weight Gain; Part II, Nutrient Supplements

Abstract

Twenty years ago, the Food and Nutrition Board issued its landmark report,<i>Maternal Nutrition and the Course and Outcome of Pregnancy</i>. Since that time, both the amount and sophistication of research in maternal nutrition have grown rapidly and have provided clear evidence of the link between perinatal nutrition and pregnacy outcome. During these same years, national attention has turned away from high-technology solutions to the problems of low birth weight and preterm delivery and has focused on the potential therapeutic effects of traditional modalities such as nutrition. The emergence of maternal nutrition as a pivotal factor in the outcome of pregnancy has recently been underscored by the recognition of its central role in the prevention of prenatal mental retardation in patients with maternal phenylketonuria and its potential effect in the prevention of neural tube defects. This latest National Academy of Sciences report provides a balanced and indepth presentation of research