Dietary guidelines to combat complications during pregnancy

Healthy diet during pregnancy not only guarantees growth and development of fetus but also maintains maternal health and facilitates lactation. Nutrition counseling and recommendation guidelines should be a fundamental part of prenatal care and it should continue during gestation. Maternal, fetal and neonatal complications are reduced because of these precautions and risk of short and long-term complications are reduced. Underweight or obese (malnourished) women that enter gestation in same state face adverse pregnancy outcomes as compared to healthy women with normal weight range. Numerous metabolic adaptations are met to fulfil the increased energy and nutritional needs during pregnancy. Evidence suggests that fetus will adapt the alternative metabolic competence if nutrient restrictions surpass the adaptive responses limit. The complication may emerge in adult life in form of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes type 2.