Maternal health experts have stressed the importance of healthy diets during pregnancy, warning that poor nutrition and malnutrition can restrict foetal growth and increase the risk of low birth weight, premature birth and, in severe cases, foetal death.
The gynaecologists noted that the foetus depends on nutrients supplied by the mother through the placenta for normal growth and development.
The physicians who spoke exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise warned that micronutrient deficiencies during pregnancy could impair foetal growth and increase the risk of congenital birth defects.
The World Health Organisation states that a woman’s nutritional status before and during pregnancy plays a key role in foetal growth and development.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists defines foetal growth restriction as a condition in which a foetus is smaller than expected for its gestational age and notes that it is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. ACOG also states that foetal growth restriction is associated with a significant increase in the risk of stillbirth.
