Impact on growth and development of children.

Abstract

Pregnancy is an increase of nutritional needs for women, so that an adequate nutritional status is necessary, not only during pregnancy, but her previous periods, as affects the physical and mental well-being. It covers these additional requirements based on certain physiological adjustments in well-nourished women. However, it is widely known that when there is maternal malnutrition, can cause nutritional deficiencies in the fetus, being a consequence of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), which increases morbidity and mortality in postnatal life. This article reviews briefly on the impact of maternal nutrition on the growth and development of children.