"This second edition discusses contemporary challenges and debates related to the short and longer-term effects of maternal and infant nutrition, and of the nature of the relationship between mother and infant as a consequence of nutritive and nurturing behaviour."--Provided by publisher.

Abstract: The nutritional status of the pregnant women is being recognized as one of the most important factors in the development of a baby, both pre and postnatally. Malnutrition can cause sterility, spontaneous aborption, stillbirth, premature birth, deformities and mental retardation. Statistics from many sources, such as European clinics during WWII and current figures from hospital observations all over the country, have been collected and compiled to provide information on prenatal and early childhood development in relation to nutrition in three ways--physiologically, neurologically, and behaviorally. Low birth weight is the measurement most closely associated with the incidence of neonatal disorders, and is shown to be closely related also to maternal nutrition. Reproductive casualties, particularly in regard to handicapped children, can be greatly decreased by better education and nourishment of expectant mothers.

How to prevent and manage low birth weight Growth and nutrition during the fetal period and the first 24 months after birth are important determinants of development in early childhood. Optimal nutrition and health care of both the mother and infant during these first 1000 days of an infant's life are closely linked to growth, learning potential and neurodevelopment, in turn affecting long-term outcomes. Children with low birth weight do not only include premature babies, but also those with intrauterine growth restrictions who consequently have a very high risk of developing metabolic syndrome in the future. Epidemiology, epigenetic programming, the correct nutrition strategy and monitoring of outcomes are thus looked at carefully in this book. More specifically, two important nutritional issues are dealt with in depth: The first being the prevention of low birth weight, starting with the health of adolescent girls, through the pre-pregnancy and pregnancy stages and ending with lactation. The second point of focus concerns the nutritional follow-up and feeding opportunities in relation to dietary requirements of children with low birth weight.

The Model Chapter on Infant and Young Child Feeding is intended for use in basic training of health professionals. It describes essential knowledge and basic skills that every health professional who works with mothers and young children should master. The Model Chapter can be used by teachers and students as a complement to textbooks or as a concise reference manual.

This evidence-based, practical guide provides an introduction to the theory behind child nutrition with practical advice on how to put that theory into practice, including case studies, key points, and activities to help readers learn. Divided into three sections, the chapters cover prenatal nutrition and nutrition throughout childhood from preterm babies to adolescents up to the age of 18. Section 1: Introduction to the growth, nutrients, and food groups. Section 2: Providing a balanced eating pattern for each age group, chapters include expected growth patterns, development affecting eating and drinking skills, as well as common problems such as reflux in babies, fussy eaters in the toddler years, and eating disorders and pregnancy in the teenage years. Section 3: Common problems/disorders that can occur at any stage throughout childhood such as obesity, diabetes, and food intolerances. Chapters will also cover nutritional support in the community, reflecting the increasing numbers of chronically sick children who are now managed in the primary care setting. This book is essential reading for nutrition and dietetics students, as well as student children's nurses and health and social care students. It will also be a useful reference for those responsible for the nutritional health of children in primary care and community settings (including nurses, midwives, health visitors, GPs, social workers, nursery nurses, early years workers, and school nurses).

WHO and UNICEF jointly developed this global strategy to focus world attention on the impact that feeding practices have on the nutritional status, growth and development, health, and thus the very survival of infants and young children. The strategy is the result of a comprehensive two-year participatory process. It is based on the evidence of nutrition's significance in the early months and years of life, and of the crucial role that appropriate feeding practices play in achieving optimal health outcomes. The strategy is intended as a guide for action; it identifies interventions with a proven positive impact; it emphasizes providing mothers and families the support they need to carry out their crucial roles, and it explicitly defines the obligations and responsibilities in this regards of governments, international organizations, and other concerned parties.