Why Does Nutrition Matter?

Proper nutrition is crucial for the health of both the pregnant mother and baby to prevent complications & ensure the best outcomes.

In MOTHERS, poor nutrition in pregnancy can lead to some of these complications:

  • Gestational diabetes (diabetes in pregnancy)

  • Preeclampsia (serious pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and damage to other organs like the liver and kidneys)

  • Preterm births (delivering too early)

  • NICU admission (admission to the neonatal intensive care unit)

Chehab, Rana F., et al. “Food insecurity in pregnancy, receipt of food assistance, and perinatal complications.” JAMA Network Open, vol. 8, no. 1, 23 Jan. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.55955.

By eating well, you can prevent these complications in your pregnancy!

In BABIES, poor nutrition can lead to the following complications:

  • Low birthweight

  • Small for gestational age

  • Fetal growth restriction

  • Large for gestational age

  • Birth defects

    Marshall, Nicole E, et al. “The Importance of Nutrition in Pregnancy and Lactation: Lifelong Consequences.” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, May 2022, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9182711/.

Proper nutrition while pregnant can help to prevent these negative outcomes!