First broadcast July 2025

We are proud to announce the launch of the British Nutrition Foundation Briefing Paper. Diet in Pregnancy: A Review of Current Challenged and Recommendations. By offering a comprehensive overview of nutrition and weight related concerns, this briefing paper integrates new insights and aims to enhance understanding of the crucial role that diet plays in promoting a healthy pregnancy and ensuring positive birth outcomes in the UK.

To celebrate the paper, the British Nutrition Foundation is delighted  to have produced a two-part webinar series available to access on demand.

In Healthy Beginnings: Weight Matters we explore the role of maternal diet and weight in shaping health outcomes before and during pregnancy, and in Healthy Beginnings: Nutrition in Pregnancy  we highlight the critical influence of maternal nutrition on both short- and long-term fetal health outcomes.

Topics across the two sessions include:

• The latest evidence on gestational weight gain and its relationship to maternal and infant health;
• The impact of maternal obesity and evidence-based strategies for supporting women;
• Current dietary and supplementation recommendations during pregnancy;
• Key nutrient deficiencies and challenges to achieving adequacy in the UK;
• Opportunities for professionals to support pregnant women and to promote sustainable dietary patterns that meet nutritional needs during pregnancy.

Webinar 1

Healthy Beginnings: Weight Matters

Join Sara Stanner, Science Director at the British Nutrition Foundation with academic experts Prof Javier Gonzales University of Bath and Dr Alyson Hill, University of Ulster to explore the maternal obesity and the importance of weight management in pregnancy, in supporting the health of both mother and baby throughout the perinatal period and beyond.

Webinar 2

Healthy Beginnings: Nutrition in Pregnancy

Join Ayela Spiro, Nutrition Science Manager at the British Nutrition Foundation with academic experts Dr Kathryn Hart, University of Surrey and Prof Alison Gallagher, Ulster University, to explore current UK dietary recommendations and specific nutrient concerns during pregnancy, with particular emphasis on the role of key nutrients.