Maternal nutrition and the offsprings development.

Malnutrition in animals during pregnancy lactation or both has adverse effects on the offspring with regard to birth weight mortality morbidity growth and performance both physical and mental. The effects of maternal deprivation can be transmitted through several generations as a result of hormonal deficiencies; the pituitary gland is particularly sensitive to the effects of malnutrition. Minor nutritional imbalance during pregnancy can also have profound effects on the welfare of the newborn infant. A study in Taiwan with women comparing the effect of a vitamin-calorie-supplement with a vitamin-calorie-protein supplement and the incidence of low-birth-weight babies showed that the mothers receiving no protein in their supplement had significantly smaller babies. A study in Guatemala showed that the higher the calorie intake during pregnancy the lower the incidence of low-birth-weight-babies.