Maternal Nutrition Project
Maternal obesity increases risk for the mother during pregnancy, birth and postnatally, for fetal surveillance and begins a cycle of nutritional deprivation for the infant into childhood and beyond.
This is a new workstream for 22/23. Initial mapping of antenatal and postnatal guidelines in each Trust have been undertaken and future work will involve benckmarking best practice, undertaking a gap analysis for each Trust, developing a standardised guideline across the system and supporting full implementation by all Trusts.
Maternal nutrition incorporates more than just identifying those with raised BMIs and also includes ensuring access to the national healthy start scheme for those eligible, ensuring messaging to everyone about routine vitamin D supplementation and the full implementation of NICE’s guideline on vitamin D: supplement use in specific populations groups