MATERNAL AND CHILD UNDERNUTRITION.

Running head: MATERNAL AND CHILD UNDERNUTRITION
MATERNAL AND CHILD UNDERNUTRITION
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1MATERNAL AND CHILD UNDERNUTRITION
Introduction:
In Australia, the maternal and child undernutrition cases have been standard as a most
important public health concern, because it has been contributing majorly in the increasing
rate of morbidity and mortality. Throughout the world, the nutrition-deficiency factors have
been donating to almost 35% of child mortality and around 11% of the total worldwide
disease burden. The average death rate of children below the age of five years is nearly 2.2
million which is because of undernutrition outcomes. The maternal undernutrition in the
reason behind the undernutrition in child which occurs during conception and pregnancy
period because of the lack of micro nutrition (Cash et al. 2015). In order to decreases the
cases of maternal and child undernutrition, proper dietary supplements should be provided to
the mother during the pregnancy period and the child after the birth. Australian region that
fall under low and middle income areas are more susceptible to cases of undernutrition
mother and child. Malnutrition is also known as the silent epidemic, is found to affect
approximately 35-43 percent of population in Australian and which leads to hospitalization or
death. The Australian Nutrition Care Survey identified that approximately 30% of the
hospitalised patients are undernutrition effected, with 6% of them are severely affected by the
undernutrition. In the assignment, the reason behind the occurrence of the maternal and child
undernutrition conditions, along with the future outcome is discussed along with the
condition in Australia (Arrish, Yeatman and Williamson 2016). The strategies and laws are
also discussed in order to restore the health condition and reduce the death rate related to
undernutrition.

2MATERNAL AND CHILD UNDERNUTRITION
Discussion:
Maternal undernutrition:
Maternal nutrition during the conception and pregnancy plays a very important role in the
development of the placental-embryo connection and is found to effect the child throughout
his/her life. Low maternal nutrition produces the low birth weight and also has significant
effect on the diseases and illness of the new-born (Toole et al. 2015). The placenta is a body
organ of pregnant women which functions in transferring or exchanging nutrients, air and
wastes with the fatal body. Placenta’s morphology and nutrient transmission capacity is
found to determine the prenatal growth path of the foetus which influence the child’s birth
weight. Trans placental exchange is totally dependent on the placental, uterine and umbilical
blood flow. The maternal nutrition is not only influences the placental homeostasis but it is
also associated with the ideal child growth (Ersino et al. 2018).
Decrease in nutrient availability during conception and during the pregnancy period
decreases foetal growth. Maternal undernutrition in case of a pregnant woman might be an
outcome of low consumption of dietary nutrients which can be because of limited supply of
food or nausea and vomiting conditions which continues extensively after the first-trimester
effects of pregnancy. Short duration in inter-pregnancy may also result in maternal under
nutritional at the beginning of the pregnancy, whereas it is observed that a pregnant teenage
mothers contest with its own foetuses for nutrients throughout the pregnancy (Victora et al.
2016).
Women who witness undernutrition during the time of conception and throughout her
pregnancy period, they often face conditions where the body requires additional nutrition
because of the growing foetus. The body becomes deficit of appropriate nourishment for the
mother as well as the child, in such cases the motility rate of the mother during pregnancy
and delivery of the child increases as compared to those of the healthy mothers. It also effects

3MATERNAL AND CHILD UNDERNUTRITION
the mortality rate of the child. In most of the evolving nations, the maternal undernutrition is
determined as the most important contributor to illness, death, and poor birth consequences
which also includes low birth weight, mortality of the new-born, and which follows child
malnutrition (Ashorn et al. 2018). And it is found that such children experience lack of
growth in following years, witness more diseases cases, less active in studies and other
actives such as sports and are found to be less creative as adults. According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), women who enter into the labour associations are also the chief
factors to maternal and child undernutrition (WHO 2019). It is found that if a mother is not
provided with adequate amount of child care, the child will receive lesser amount of
consistent feedings which will include proper nutrition that will lead the child towards
undernutrition (Correia-Branco, Keating & Martel 2015).
Child undernutrition:
Child undernutrition is one of the greatest contributor to mortality under the age of
five years because of the greater vulnerability of the children suffering from malnutrition to
various types of chronic and acute infections and slow recovery rate from the illness. In cases
where the child faces undernutrition inside the mother’s womb, it may result in different
health issues for the child such as metabolic, cardiovascular (CV) and growth adaptations.
Children who are retarded with the ability to reach the optimum height or reliably experience
weight loss from the childhood are majorly affected throughout the life in several ways (Null
et al. 2018). They also face disparity in reaching their optimum size as an adult and also
witnesses less physical ability for effort, their brain development and functions are also
affected which results in lower IQ level and they are vulnerable to higher risk of infection.
These cases are the major reasons a child experiences morbidity and mortality at a very early
age. Child malnutrition has its sever effects on a child’s education achievement (WHO 2019).
The degree of intellectual impairments in the child is directly connected to the severity of