Rapid Response Brief Improving maternal nutrition in the first trimester

Nonetheless, in utero exposure to the Chinese famine caused by the Great Leap Forward (1959-1962) increased the risk of fatty liver disease in adulthood in women.9 There was an inconsistent relationship between famine exposure and both BMI and waist circumference later in life depending on the timing of exposure, severity of exposure, and age at which the measurement occurred, demonstrating the ex. [...] The effect of folic acid in the first weeks of pregnancy on the prevalence of neural tube defects is well established.14 Folic acid supplementation in the first trimester can also reduce the risk of congenital heart diseases.15 Maternal iron deficiency in the first trimester is more damaging to fetal growth than iron deficiency in later pregnancy.13 Vitamin B12 deficiency in the first and second t. [...] © Anca Dumitrescu / 3ie Improving maternal nutrition in the first trimester Theory of change Early-pregnancy nutrition education and counseling is assumed to affect maternal behaviors in the short-term leading to improved neonatal and maternal health in the medium term and improved outcomes for the infant into adulthood (Figure 2). [...] Rather than simply quantifying the overall effectiveness of these new packages of care, research should establish the additional impacts of nutrition education and counseling to determine if it contributes to the overall effects of such programs and improves the efficiency of these new, multi-sectoral programs. [...] Exposure to the Great Famine in Early Life and the Risk of Obesity in Adulthood: A Report Based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey.