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Maternal and child nutrition

Guidance for midwives, health visitors, pharmacists and other primary care services to improve the nutrition of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and children in low income households.

Guidance type:  Public health programme guidance
Date issued:  March 2008
Expected review date:  TBC

Summary

This guidance aims to address disparities in the nutrition of low-income and other disadvantaged groups compared with the general population.

It is relevant for all women who are pregnant (or planning to become pregnant), mothers of children aged under 5 and others who care for children aged under 5. The guidance complements and supports, but does not replace, NICE clinical guidelines on: antenatal care, diabetes in pregnancy, intrapartum and postnatal care.

The guidance does not cover:

  • national maternal and child nutrition policies that are the responsibility of the Department of Health (DH) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA), advised by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition; these include policies on population-based dietary recommendations, food safety, the nutritional content of infant formula and the fortification of foods
  • population-based screening programmes
  • complementary therapy approaches.
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