Maternal malnutrition impairs pregnancy outcome, increases maternal mortality and retards early childhood development. 18 million low-birth weight babies are born to undernourished mothers each year. This is a prime cause of infant mortality in developing countries.
Lactation increases maternal nutrient needs.
Chronic nutrient deficiencies place mothers at increased risk for cancer and degenerative diseases later in life. Improving women's health and nutrition significantly benefits families, communities and the national economy. Nutritional challenges during pregnancy and lactation Dietary energy requirements increase markedly during pregnancy and lactation. Normally, a pregnant woman or nursing mother either increases food energy intake or reduces physical activity, or both. But when resources are limited and the demands on women's labour are great, unmet energy needs result in low birth weight infants and reduced maternal work capacity and fat stores, which limits the success of breastfeeding.