In pregnancy, maternal nutrition sustains and nourishes the developing child. Imbalances in either the direction of nutritional excess or deficiency can have adverse consequences for child health. In addition, more research now suggests that good pregnancy nutrition influences child health beyond pregnancy and delivery. This includes modifying the risk of child health outcomes as they enter childhood and adulthood through influences on placental development, hormonal pathways, and organ structure and function. Poor pregnancy nutrition may also compromise maternal health during pregnancy, which may have long-term consequences for women’s health. Understanding the biological and social mechanisms operating during pregnancy can help in the design of better clinical and public health interventions. This Special Issue on “The Role of Pregnancy Nutrition in Maternal and Offspring Health” includes etiological and mechanistic studies of pregnancy nutrition with short- and long-term maternal and child health outcomes, including original research, narrative reviews, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Together, this body of work provides important insights into the influence of dietary patterns, food groups, and nutrients on pregnancy outcomes, and long-term neurodevelopmental, respiratory, and metabolic health in the children. It also highlights nutritional consequences for specific groups of women, including those with pregnancy complications and eating disorders.

Although there is an increasing number of pregnant individuals taking nutraceuticals to maintain good health, many gaps exist in the knowledge base. These nutraceuticals might be involved in a wide variety of biological processes, and the biological and epidemiological findings of relevant studies should be examined and analyzed. Nutraceuticals for Prenatal, Maternal and Offspring’s Nutritional Health focuses on the role of nutraceuticals for prenatal, mothers, and offspring’s health. In recent years, new trends have been established in this area of prenatal nutrition, that is, mother and offspring health based on appropriate nutrition during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and after pregnancy. Nutraceuticals and natural products have been used by many cultures and societies around the world. This book focuses on recent trends and potential clinical evaluations of such nutraceuticals and natural products. Features: Examines the role of Nutraceuticals on the mothers and offspring’s disease and health Focuses on human population-based research Discuses role of nutraceuticals in placental development, nutraceuticals for gestational weight pain and post-partum obesity Covers nutraceuticals impacting uterine growth, gestational age, and mortality rate Explores the question whether Nutraceuticals intake in pregnant women is safe as they might be involved a wide variety of biological processes With 19 chapters written by established lead authors in this field, Nutraceuticals for Prenatal, Maternal and Offspring’s Nutritional Health addresses important findings of the latest scientific research regarding the role of nutraceuticals intake before and during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a viewed as a window to future health. With the birth of the developmental origins of human adult disease hypothesis, research and clinical practice has turned its attention to the influence of maternal factors such as health and lifestyle surrounding pregnancy as a means to understand and prevent the inter-generational inheritance of chronic disease susceptibility. Outcomes during pregnancy have long-lasting impacts on both women on children. Moreover, nutrition early in life can influence growth and the establishment of lifelong eating habits and behaviors. This Special Issue on “Nutrition during Pregnancy and Lactation: Implications for Maternal and Infant Health” is intended to highlight new epidemiological, mechanistic and interventional studies that investigate maternal nutrition around the pregnancy period on maternal and infant outcomes. Submissions may include original research, narrative reviews, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

With the aim to improve clinicians' understanding of the important effects nutrition can have on maternal health and fetal and neonatal development, Maternal-Fetal Nutrition During Pregnancy and Lactation defines the nutritional requirements with regard to the stage of development and growth, placing scientific developments into clinical context.

Dietary Risk Assessment in the WIC Program reviews methods used to determine dietary risk based on failure to meet Dietary Guidelines for applicants to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Applicants to the WIC program must be at nutritional risk to be eligible for program benefits. Although "dietary risk" is only one of five nutrition risk categories, it is the category most commonly reported among WIC applicants. This book documents that nearly all low-income women in the childbearing years and children 2 years and over are at risk because their diets fail to meet the recommended numbers of servings of the food guide pyramid. The committee recommends that all women and children (ages 2-4 years) who meet the eligibility requirements based on income, categorical and residency status also be presumed to meet the requirement of nutrition risk. By presuming that all who meet the categorical and income eligibility requirements are at dietary risk, WIC retains its potential for preventing and correcting nutrition-related problems while avoiding serious misclassification errors that could lead to denial of services for eligible individuals.

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.

Principles of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics: Fundamentals for Individualized Nutrition is the most comprehensive foundational text on the complex topics of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics. Edited by three leaders in the field with contributions from the most well-cited researchers conducting groundbreaking research in the field, the book covers how the genetic makeup influences the response to foods and nutrients and how nutrients affect gene expression. Principles of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics: Fundamentals for Individualized Nutrition is broken into four parts providing a valuable overview of genetics, nutrigenetics, and nutrigenomics, and a conclusion that helps to translate research into practice. With an overview of the background, evidence, challenges, and opportunities in the field, readers will come away with a strong understanding of how this new science is the frontier of medical nutrition. Principles of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics: Fundamentals for Individualized Nutrition is a valuable reference for students and researchers studying nutrition, genetics, medicine, and related fields. - Uniquely foundational, comprehensive, and systematic approach with full evidence-based coverage of established and emerging topics in nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics - Includes a valuable guide to ethics for genetic testing for nutritional advice - Chapters include definitions, methods, summaries, figures, and tables to help students, researchers, and faculty grasp key concepts - Companion website includes slide decks, images, questions, and other teaching and learning aids designed to facilitate communication and comprehension of the content presented in the book