Not only is there a negative impact on children born to malnourished mothers, but there is also an increased risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. Almost one-quarter of Bangladesh’s 81 million women are considered to be undernourished with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5.
While the issue of malnourished women is problematic all the time, it is particularly so when pregnancy occurs.īangladesh continues to struggle with levels of maternal malnutrition that are among the highest in the world. In Asia, an estimated 563 million people are malnourished and young women of reproductive age are considered to be among the most vulnerable to malnourishment. Malnutrition is one of the most important risk factors for poor health, both directly and indirectly. This knowledge is important as discussions surrounding the creation of new development goals are currently underway. This research investigated these lived experiences by exploring food provisioning strategies of urban, ultra-poor, pregnant women. In particular, little is known of the lived experience of food insecurity among pregnant women in this context.
While there is an abundance of useful quantitative research centered on maternal nutrition and food insecurity measurements in Bangladesh, missing is an understanding of how food insecurity is experienced by people who are most vulnerable, the urban ultra-poor.
It is believed that those who are most acutely affected by rising food prices are the urban poor. The recent global food price crisis is also negatively impacting poor pregnant women’s access to food. Maternal malnutrition in Bangladesh is a persistent health issue and is the product of a number of complex factors, including adherence to food 'taboos’ and a patriarchal gender order that limits women’s mobility and decision-making.
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