Nutritional status and interventional strategies during pregnancy in China

Abstract

Pregnancy is where a life begins, and the nutritional status of a pregnant woman has profound impact on the short- and long-term health for both her child and herself. With the improvement of living standards, pregnant women in China are in better nutritional condition, but still face the double challenges of excessive calories intake and insufficient intake of some micronutrients. Inadequate weight gain during pregnancy is common, especially excessive weight gain. We are now facing a more serious challenge in nutrition management during pregnancy due to the persistent high prevalence of some complications, including iron deficiency anemia, gestational diabetes mellitus and macrosomia,etc, and the increasing proportion of high-risk gravidas after the implementation of universal two-child policy . Therefore, to have a better understanding of the current nutritional status of pregnant women and develop practical measures, such as strengthening nutrition education and management during pregnancy, are of great significance in improving perinatal outcomes and preventing chronic diseases in adulthood in offspring. Key words: Pregnant women; Nutritional status; Pregnancy outcome; Preventive health services