NNI BITES, BIG LEARNINGS

In this episode of Milestones in Maternal Nutrition, Professor Andrew Prentice speaks with Dr. Nandita Perumal about healthy weight management before and during pregnancy. Dr. Perumal explains how being underweight and overweight can impair fertility, while obesity increases the risk of complications including miscarriage, neural tube defects, gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, preterm birth and adverse neonatal outcomes. The discussion explores current recommendations for gestational weight gain, diet and physical activity, highlighting emerging evidence that weight gain targets may need to be individualized according to the degree of maternal obesity. Together, they examine the challenges of translating lifestyle interventions into practice and the importance of supporting healthy weight before conception to improve outcomes for both mothers and their children.

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Nestlé Nutrition Institute

In this episode of Milestones in Maternal Nutrition, Professor Andrew Prentice speaks with Professor Parul Christian about the drivers and lifelong consequences of low birth weight. Professor Christian explains how nutritional factors such as maternal undernutrition, inadequate gestational weight gain, anemia, and multiple micronutrient deficiencies contribute to preterm birth and fetal growth restriction, which are major underlying causes of low birth weight. The discussion highlights the growing shift from focusing on single nutrients to improving overall maternal nutrition through balanced energy, protein and multiple micronutrient supplementation. Together, they explore how low birth weight increases the risk of poor growth, stunting, infection, and developmental challenges throughout childhood and later life, underscoring the importance of maternal nutrition across the first 1,000 days.

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Nestlé Nutrition Institute

In this episode of Milestones in Maternal Nutrition, Professor Andrew Prentice and  Professor Stephen Kennedy talk about the INTERGROWTH-21st Project and its contribution to the assessment of fetal and newborn growth worldwide. Professor Kennedy explains the development of international fetal growth, birth weight and preterm growth standards to address the limitations of locally derived reference charts. The discussion explores how this project demonstrated that fetal growth and newborn size are remarkably similar across populations when health, nutrition and environmental conditions are optimal. Together, they examine how these standards have improved the identification of growth abnormalities, assessment of small-for-gestational-age and preterm infants, and the consistency of maternal and newborn care globally.

For Healthcare Professionals Only
Nestlé Nutrition Institute

For Healthcare Professionals Only
Nestlé Nutrition Institute

In this episode of Milestones in Maternal Nutrition, Professor Andrew Prentice interviews Professor Maria Makrides, exploring the evolving science of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and their implications for maternal and infant health. Professor Makrides explains how omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, support fetal brain and nervous system development during late gestation, while also influencing the timing of parturition through their effects on inflammatory pathways and prostaglandin balance. The discussion traces the scientific journey from early epidemiological observations to randomized trials and large-scale meta-analyses demonstrating that omega-3 supplementation may reduce the risk of early preterm birth, particularly among women with low omega-3 status. Together, they also discussed the translation of this evidence into clinical practice through South Australia’s pioneering antenatal omega-3 screening and supplementation program.



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Nestlé Nutrition Institute

In this episode of Milestones in Maternal Nutrition, Professor Andrew Prentice with Professor Kathryn Dewey talks about the role of protein-energy supplementation during pregnancy and its potential to improve birth outcomes among nutritionally vulnerable populations. Professor Dewey explains how maternal undernutrition contributes to low birth weight, small-for-gestational-age birth and preterm delivery. This discussion explores the scientific evidence behind balanced energy-protein (BEP) supplementation, including historical trials, evolving WHO recommendations and the complexities surrounding optimal protein composition and maternal metabolic health. They also explored emerging approaches such as small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQLNS), targeted nutritional strategies, and the practical challenges of implementing maternal supplementation programs at scale in low-resource settings.

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Nestlé Nutrition Institute

In this episode of Milestones in Maternal Nutrition, Professor Andrew Prentice speaks with Dr. Klaus Kraemer about the development and the science behind UNIMMAP — the standardized multiple micronutrient supplement formulated for pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Kraemer explains how data from over 20 randomised trials and multiple meta-analyses demonstrate that multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) reduces low birth weight by 12% and preterm birth by 8% compared to standard iron and folic acid, with even greater benefits — approaching 20% reduction in low birth weight and 30% in infant mortality — among underweight and anemic women. The discussion addresses UNIMMAP's formulation history, manufacturing complexity, cost-effectiveness, and the WHO's cautious conditional recommendation. Together, they examine the barriers that have slowed MMS adoption globally, and discuss what it will take to make this life-saving supplement the new standard of care for pregnant women everywhere.

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Nestlé Nutrition Institute

In this episode of Milestones in Maternal Nutrition, Professor Andrew Prentice speaks with Professor Helene McNulty about the landmark evidence linking periconceptional folic acid supplementation to the prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs). Professor McNulty traces the science from early observational findings to the pivotal 1991 MRC trial demonstrating a 72% protective effect against NTD recurrence, and a subsequent Hungarian trial showing 100% protection against first occurrence. The discussion examines why dietary folate alone is insufficient, how mandatory fortification programmes in the US and Canada have safely reduced NTD prevalence over three decades, and why the standard 400 microgram dose remains appropriate for most women — with higher doses reserved only for those at established clinical risk.

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Nestlé Nutrition Institute

In this episode of Milestones in Maternal Nutrition, Professor Andrew Prentice speaks with Professor Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri about the remarkable biology of the placenta and its critical role as the fetus’s supply line during pregnancy. Professor Sferruzzi-Perri explains how the placenta develops from the earliest stages of embryonic life to regulate the transfer of oxygen, early metabolites and nutrients from mother to baby, while also adapting to changes in the maternal environment. The discussion explores how maternal nutrition, health, and metabolic status can influence placental development and function, shaping fetal growth and long-term health outcomes. Together, they examine how placental dysfunction contributes to complications such as fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth, while highlighting emerging research aimed at identifying early biomarkers and new therapeutic approaches to improve maternal and child health.

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Nestlé Nutrition Institute

In this episode of Milestones in Maternal Nutrition, Dr. Carla Cerami speaks with Professor Andrew Prentice about how a mother's diet and nutritional status around the time of conception can leave a lasting imprint on her baby's biology — shaping health outcomes that persist across an entire lifetime. Professor Prentice explains how key nutrients, particularly B vitamins and folate, fuel the epigenetic processes that regulate how a baby's genes are expressed during the earliest and most critical days of embryonic development. The discussion draws on how his team’s research in rural Gambia revealed that seasonal differences in maternal diet can measurably alter epigenetic marks in the baby's DNA — with potential links to obesity, thyroid function, and neonatal diabetes. Together, they reflect on what these discoveries mean for the future of pre-conceptional nutrition guidance, and why optimizing a mother's diet before pregnancy may be just as critical as care during it.

For Healthcare Professionals Only
Nestlé Nutrition Institute