Pregnancy is a critical stage of development. During this period the nutrition of the mother greatly influences the growth and wellness of the foetus as well as that of the mother. That is why it is important for pregnant women to be mindful and critical about their nutrition.
During pregnancy optimal nutrition is very important and necessary to maintain the health of the mother and ensure a safe and healthy delivery. It also helps in reducing the risk of birth defects, foetal development and serious health challenges in childhood.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines poor nutrition as ‘the cellular imbalance between the supply of nutrients and energy and the body’s demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance, and specific functions’. Contrary to the common use, the term malnutrition refers not only to deficiency states but also to excess and imbalance in the intake of calories, proteins and/or other nutrients.
However, studies from some undergraduate project topics I have come across, I came to conclusion that poor nutrition often result in pregnancy complications and poor obstetric outcomes. Pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa are mostly at risk of poor nutrition because of the level of poverty, food insecurity, political and economic instabilities, frequent infections, and unplanned pregnancies.
Therefore, the main nutritional problems affecting these women are maternal under- and over-nutrition and deficiencies of key pregnancy micronutrients like vitamin A, vitamin D and iron which can be gotten from good balanced diet and a good nutrition.
Consequently, poor nutrition and health challenges during pregnancy such as anaemia, tube defects, low birth weight, maternal and neonatal mortality are most common in developing countries.
Women should be made to understand the importance of a health nutrition during pregnancy to avoid complications during or after child birth.

POOR NUTRITION

Malnutrition is a serious condition that happens when your diet does not contain the right amount of nutrients. It means "poor nutrition" and can refer to: under nutrition not getting enough nutrients.
When your meal doesn’t contain the classes of food is considered poor nutrition because you will lacking in some nutrients that the body needs to function properly.

HOW NUTRITION AFFECT PREGNANT WOMEN

Nutrition affects a great deal on pregnant women because pregnancy and breastfeeding predispose to under nutrition due to deficient intake of appropriate food requirement as a result of increased nutritional demand or losses. Children who are malnourished are not spared from the effects of poor nutrition. They are more likely to be faced with cognitive impairments, stunted growth, lower immune system and possibly death.
Therefore, a balanced amount of nutrients is necessary for the proper functioning of the general body system. Nutrition is like the fundamental pillar and strength of the human life, health and development throughout the entire life span. That is why it is advisable to eat health and nutritious meals because they are essential for survival, physical growth, mental development, performance and productivity, health, and general wellbeing.
Nevertheless, Poor nutrition in pregnancy negatively or adversely affects the woman’s health and that of the unborn child. To the mother, it causes weakness and lethargy, anaemia, weakness during child birth and loss of life for both the mother and the foetus and also reduces the woman’s lactation performance.
However, nutrition requirements and needs vary with age, gender, and during physiological changes such as pregnancy. Pregnancy is such a critical phase in a woman's life when the expecting mother needs optimal nutrients of superior quality to support the developing fetus and improve her health condition to avoid any form of pregnancy complications.

CONCLUSION

Conclusively, it can be said that an adequate nutritional status of pregnant women is essential for their health and that of the child as well as pregnancy outcomes. Due to increased nutritional requirements, pregnancy is a critical period for meeting the body’s demand for macro/ micro nutrients. Thus, anemia and vitamin A are common micronutrient deficiencies that affect pregnant women around the world most especially women in developing countries.
In general, fetal exposure to malnutrition is associated with congenital anomalies, intrauterine growth restriction, lower birth weight, stunting in childhood, shorter adult height, lower educational attainment, and reduced economic productivity. Stunted women often encounter greater risks during pregnancy such as obstructed labor, while low birth weight babies from malnutrition have been linked to an increased risk of obesity later life.