Improving women’s diets, access to nutrition services, and nutrition and care practices – before and during pregnancy and while breastfeeding – is critical to preventing malnutrition in all its forms. This is particularly true for the most vulnerable mothers and babies.
Nutrition before pregnancy
UNICEF supports programmes that make nutritious foods more accessible and affordable, and uses behaviour change communication to promote nutritious diets and shift social norms and practices. We also support large-scale food fortification programmes – such as salt iodization and the fortification of wheat flour, rice, and cooking oil with vitamins and nutrients – to improve the quality of women’s diets.
Nutrition during pregnancy
UNICEF promotes healthy eating, micronutrient supplementation (iron and folic acidor multiple micronutrients, and calcium), deworming prophylaxis, weight gain monitoring, physical activity, and rest to improve the nutrition of pregnant women. We also help provide nutritionalcounselling and support during pregnancy, in line with global recommendations.
Nutrition while breastfeeding
UNICEF promotes healthy eating, micronutrient supplementation (either iron and folic acid, or multiple micronutrients), deworming prophylaxis, physical activity, and rest to improve the nutrition of breastfeeding women. We also help provide nutritionalcounselling and support for breastfeeding mothers during postnatal care visits.
Nutrition of adolescent mothers
UNICEF supports programmes that provide specialized support and nutritional care to pregnant adolescent girls, breastfeeding adolescent mothers and other nutritionally at-risk pregnant and breastfeeding women. This includes supporting counselling services, micronutrient supplementation and the use of balanced energy-protein supplements where appropriate.
Innovations for maternal nutrition
UNICEF tests innovations for improving women’s nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As part of this work, we aim to shape markets to help increase access to low-cost, high-quality micronutrient supplements for women, and drive product innovation for nutrition.This also includes exploring innovative ways to deliver nutrition services to women and low-cost, field-friendly methods to assess micronutrient deficiencies in women.
