Every baby in the womb eats what its mother does, or more accurately derives its essential nutrients from her. Thus, even mild maternal malnutrition can impair fetal development. The consequences are serious, profound, last a lifetime and yet happen silently. In India a large number of women are undernourished when they conceive; the situation gets worse as the pregnancy progresses. Studies show that malnourished women are more likely bear malnourished children who either die early or grow into sickly adolescents and adults. What deprives women of the nutrition they need? Some reasons are societal; others economic and still others stem from entrenched gender biases. Here again while the poor are the most vulnerable, surprisingly even other segments of society do not always adhere to good nutritional practices although affordability is not an issue.

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