Why Pregnancy and lactation are critical stages in lifecycle?

You must be aware that the situation of women is far from optimal and it is necessary to give attention to their nutrition and health. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2, 1998-99) indicates that the mean BMI for women is 20.3. More than 1/3rd women have a BMI below 18.5 indicating high prevalence of chronic energy deficiency. Asia has the highest prevalence of anaemia in the world with about half of all anaemic women living in the Indian subcontinent, where 88% of them develop iron deficiency anaemia during pregnancy.

Under nutrition in children is strongly associated with under nutrition in mothers. It often starts in utero and may extend throughout the life cycle. It occurs during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence and has cumulative effects. Under nutrition, especially in the mother, is associated with poor pregnancy outcome including a higher incidence of low birth weight, maternal mortality, foetal and infant death and disability. Malnourished women or adolescent girls give birth to stunted and thin babies. Thus, under nutrition is handed down from one generation to another. Such children may not show catch-up growth in the later years and are more likely not to   perform well in school. As adults, they may be less productive and are more likely to suffer from chronic degenerative diseases. Chronic under nutrition accounts for a  large proportion of child deaths, poor pregnancy outcomes, poor quality of life and lost  productivity among earning adults and spanning generations.

At no other period is the well-being and future of an individual completely dependent on the health and nutritional status of another as is during pregnancy and early periods of lactation. The mother's nutritional status is a crucial factor affecting pregnancy outcome. Her diet must be carefully planned to supply the nutrients needed to maintain her health, support the physiological changes in her body and provide for the rapid growth and development of her unborn baby while protecting her from deficiency or excess of nutrients.

The goal is not just survival, we must try and ensure that every woman who is pregnant has the opportunity for a safe and successful pregnancy and the ability to deliver and care for an infant whose physical and mental potential are not impaired.  Once a child is born, she must be adequately nourished to continue to depend on their mothers for nourishment. Lactation has high nutrient costs; hence the mother's diet must be nutritionally adequate. Let us then understand these two physiological conditions in greater details. We begin with pregnancy.