The following data highlights unacceptable state and national maternal and infant morbidity and mortality statistics. Early and intensive nutrition support has a direct and positive effect on each of these statistics.

• For every 1,000 live births in the United States, 5.4 babies die. In Tennessee, the number is higher at 7.2 infant deaths.
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• 1 in 10 infants are born prematurely in the United States and in Tennessee the number is higher at 1 in 9 infants. This can increase the risk of breathing issues, visual/hearing problems, developmental delays, feeding difficulty, and cerebral palsy.
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• For every 100,000 pregnancies, 24 women die from pregnancy complications in the United States. This is worse than every other developed country. The number is even worse in Tennessee with 40.2 women dying for every 100,000 pregnancies.
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• 6 out of every 100 pregnant women have gestational diabetes in the US. This number is higher in Tennessee with 11.6 out of every 100 pregnant women being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. This doesn’t even count the number of women with previously diagnosed Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes prior to pregnancy. Uncontrolled gestational diabetes can lead to high infant birth weight, increase risk of c-section, shoulder dystocia, preeclampsia, still birth, preterm birth, and infant hypoglycemia after birth.
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• Nationally, 11% of women of reproductive age are iron deficient, 42% are vitamin D deficient, 60-81% are folic acid deficient depending on race, 25% are overweight, and 23% are obese.
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• 1 in 5 pregnant women in the US are iron deficient. Iron deficiency in pregnancy increases the risk for premature birth, restricted growth of the baby/low birth weight, low iron stores/anemia in the baby, developmental delays, pre-eclampsia, perinatal infection, postpartum depression, and infant death.
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• Poor nutrition BEFORE pregnancy increases mom’s risk of chronic disease, fatigue, weight gain, infertility, gestational diabetes, hypertension, and c-section rates. For babies, mom’s poor nutrition prior to conception can increase their risk of miscarriage or stillbirth, low or high birth weight, chronic disease later in life, birth defects, and premature birth.
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• Poor nutrition DURING pregnancy increases mom’s risk of anemia, low energy, pre-eclampsia, hemorrhaging, and death. For babies, poor nutrition during pregnancy increases their risk for stillbirth, low and high birth weight, muscle wasting, developmental delays, predisposition to obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life, poor emotional control and poor cognitive ability later in life.
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• Poor nutrition AFTER pregnancy increases mom’s risk of postpartum hemorrhage, low energy, postpartum depression, and the inability to lose the weight gained during pregnancy. For babies, if their nutrition is poor, it can lead to poor weight gain, dehydration/hospitalization, poor cognitive development, and nutrient deficiencies