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What a woman eats during pregnancy is a most important determinant of her own health and that of her child. Many women are deficient in calcium, iron, folate and zinc. Iron deficiency can cause the mother to be anemic during pregnancy and put the baby at risk of anemia after birth. Zinc and calcium affect fetal growth and folate is extremely important in the development of healthy spinal cord.

A child who is born strong and healthy has fewer illnesses throughout life than a child who is born very small or with problems at birth. Healthy babies grow up to do better in school and have fewer behavioral problems than infants with congenital health problems. When an expectant mother is not eating an adquate diet, she and her baby compete for nutrients. In the long run, neither of them gets sufficient nourishment.