Prenatal Health
The first nine months after conception are the most important time of a person’s life in terms of physical and cognitive development. To help someone then is something they will have for the rest of their lives.
Improving nutrition during pregnancy has an amazing effect on mother and baby health. In the developed world there is near universal access to micronutrients during pregnancy. However, in the developing world this is not the case, and in the developing world is precisely where nutritional supplements are the most needed because many people do not have the kind of varied diets found in rich countries, but rather rely on staples such as rice, or maize which do not possess the extra calcium, folic acid, and other vitamins and minerals needed before, during and after pregnancy. Access to prenatal multivitamins can increase birthweights from 2- 5 lbs. to 7 or 8 lbs. We can buy them for one-tenth of the market price in Honduras.
We distribute prenatal multivitamins to hospitals, health centers, other organizations, directly to women–wherever we can. Currently the most important mission we have is to promote their use in conjunction with Biosand Filtration, and deworming.
Links:
http://www.who.int/topics/maternal_health/en/
