Nutrition in pregnancy: Three crucial periods for mothers and newborns

It is well recognized that nutritional status during pregnancy is a key factor in modulating the characteristics of the environment within which the foetus originates and develops. Women’s nutritional status just before conception and during early pregnancy may influence pregnancy outcomes by affecting critical developmental processes that begin early in pregnancy, as well as the availability of nutrients. Diet has also an important impact on the life of the newborn. Recent studies showed that the impact of inadequate energy intake and micronutrients intake in pregnancy extends for decades, affecting both mothers and the offspring. In this paper we review the main evidence on the role of diet in the preconceptional period, in pregnancy and in the post-partum period. The article focuses on the need for the correct intake of micro nutrients based on the experience of different specialists who follow mothers and their babies (Gynecologist, Obstetrician, Pediatrician and Nutritionist).