Barriers to implementing good nutrition in pregnancy and early childhood: Creating equitable national solutions.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2024

Publication Title

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Exposure to deleterious stressors in early life, such as poor nutrition, underlies most adult-onset chronic diseases. As rates of chronic disease continue to climb in the United States, a focus on good nutrition before and during pregnancy, lactation, and early childhood provides a potential opportunity to reverse this trend. This report provides an overview of nutrition investigations in pregnancy and early childhood and addresses racial disparities and health outcomes, current national guidelines, and barriers to achieving adequate nutrition in pregnant individuals and children. Current national policies and community interventions to improve nutrition, as well as the current state of nutrition education among healthcare professionals and students, are discussed. Major gaps in knowledge and implementation of nutrition practices during pregnancy and early childhood were identified and action goals were constructed. The action goals are intended to guide the development and implementation of critical nutritional strategies that bridge these gaps. Such goals create a national blueprint for improving the health of mothers and children by promoting long-term developmental outcomes that improve the overall health of the US population.

Volume

1534

Issue

1

First Page

94

Last Page

105

DOI

10.1111/nyas.15122

ISSN

1749-6632

PubMed ID

38520393

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