Poor nutrition during pregnancy can have long-lasting effects into an infant’s adult life, write Shelley Wilkinson, Susan de Jersey and Jane Karpavicius.

Have you heard the saying: "If there was one time I didn't need to watch my weight or what I ate it was when I was pregnant." This is a common myth and a comment regularly heard by dietitians who care for pregnant women. Nutrition prior to and during pregnancy influences the health of both mother and child throughout the lifecycle. In addition to overall caloric intake, pre-pregnancy weight and gestational weight gain, the diet quality can influence optimal fetal development and maximise growth, development, and a healthy life. Diet quality in early pregnancy can influence how a baby's organs...