Effect of Dietary Intakes on Pregnancy Outcomes

Good maternal nutrition during both pregnancy and lactation is vital for the survival and well being of the developing infant. Well-nourished mothers have healthier babies and a lower risk of maternal mortality and morbidity. In contrast, malnourished women have higher reproductive risks and subsequently poorer pregnancy outcomes. Malnutrition and HIV work in tandem, with malnutrition weakening the immune system, increasing vulnerability to infection and may hasten the progression of HIV to AIDS. This book on ''Effect of Dietary Intakes on Pregnancy Outcomes: A Comparative Study Among HIV-Infected & Uninfected Women at Nyanza Provincial General Hospital, Kenya'', dwells on how pregnant women especially those infected by HIV can prevent malnutrition and improve their health and nutritional status, thereby slowing the progression HIV, ensure adequate gestational weight gain and decrease the risk of premature delivery and low birth weights. The women can then remain productive and prolong the quality of their lives; which will help achieve some of the millennium development goals; reduce child mortality (4); improve maternal health (5) and combat HIV and AIDS (6).