Editorial [Hot Topic: Investing in Reproductive Health ]

WHO definition of reproductive health reads: “Within the framework of WHO's definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, reproductive health addresses the reproductive processes, functions and system at all stages of life. Reproductive health, therefore, implies that people are able to have a responsible, satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so.” “Implicit in this are the right of men and women to be informed of and to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of fertility regulation of their choice, and the right of access to appropriate health care services that will enable women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth and provide couples with the best chance of having a healthy infant.” A vast majority of articles of CWHR addresses subjects aiming at the improvement of reproductive health worldwide. The term healthy infant also has a broad significance. It implies not only a child that survives the process of pregnancy but also that he/she is healthy and does not suffer any intrauterine damage that could impair her/his future life and development. Many studies in the last half of the past century have shown the effect of maternal undernutrition on fetal growth and the consequences of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In this context, maternal chronic undernutrition was linked with fetal chronic malnutrition characterized by newborns having both low weight and height. This is the category of IUGR having the greatest impairment in long term physical and intellectual development and the pattern most frequently found in developing countries. As a consequence, these girls having a chronic IUGR when becoming pregnant, will start their pregnancy with a lower weight and height having a greater chance of delivering a chronic IUGR involving a vicious circle of poor development. Most recent epidemiological studies have shown that children suffering impairment in their intrauterine life show an increase in the frequency of several diseases in adult life like hypertension and diabetes. These observations show how important fetal life is and the need to guarantee that women reach their pregnancy with the best physical, and psychological conditions and that the health system can provide them the best care to attain a healthy newborn that will have the higher potential of physical, health and intellectual development in her/his life span.