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Maternal and infant nutrition
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MIDBM3002 - Maternal and infant nutrition
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20260200
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1.1
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2026-06-16
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2026-06-16
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Institute of Health and Wellbeing
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Institute of Health and Wellbeing
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Midwifery
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Undergraduate
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15
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.125
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060303
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Midwifery
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<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/midbm3002">060303 - Midwifery</a>
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Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
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<p>Maternal and infant nutrition is a vital area of study that focuses on the dietary needs and health considerations of mothers, infants, and their families. This unit examines nutritional requirements during pregnancy and lactation, the influence of maternal diet on fetal development, and common nutritional deficiencies, along with strategies for prevention and management. Public health initiatives aimed at improving maternal and infant dietary outcomes will also be examined. Students will gain an understanding of the physiological basis for healthy weight gain during pregnancy, including evidence-based guidelines informed by pre-pregnancy health status. The implications of both insufficient and excessive weight gain, including the retention of gestational weight and its effects on long-term maternal health, will be discussed. Particular attention will be paid to the prevalence and consequences of under- and overweight in pregnancy, as well as the influence of weight stigma and its impact on care provision. The unit also provides an in-depth examination of infant feeding practices, including breastfeeding, formula feeding, the use of human milk banks and milk sharing. Students will learn how to assess feeding, develop feeding plans, and offer culturally safe, context-sensitive support that reflects the lived experiences and preferences of women and families. By the end of this unit, students will have gained a comprehensive understanding of the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence maternal and infant nutrition. They will be equipped to apply this knowledge in midwifery and public health contexts.</p>
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<p><span >The ANMAC National Accreditation Standards for the Midwife (2021); NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice (2018); NMBA Code of Conduct for the Midwife (2018); and the NMBA Code of Ethics for the Midwife (2014) have substantially informed the syllabus/content of this unit.</span></p>
<p><span >Topics may include:</span></p>
<p>· Essential nutritional requirements during pregnancy</p>
<p>· Impact of maternal diet on fetal development and pregnancy outcomes, including pregnancy variations such as hyperemesis gravidarum, gestational diabetes, anaemia, vegan/vegetarian or other diets.</p>
<p>· Guidelines for healthy weight gain during pregnancy</p>
<p>· Potential risks of abnormal weight gain during pregnancy</p>
<p>· Retention of gestational weight gain postpartum and its long-term effects on maternal health and future pregnancies</p>
<p>· Prevalence of over and under-weight in pregnancy and associated risks, and management</p>
<p>· Review of sociocultural, economic, and relational contexts' influence on women’s infant feeding decision-making</p>
<p>· Benefits, challenges, and nutritional considerations of breastfeeding and formula feeding</p>
<p>· Common nutritional deficiencies in mothers and infants</p>
<p>· Effective strategies to address nutritional deficiencies</p>
<p>· Role of public health initiatives in promoting optimal maternal and infant nutrition</p>
<p>· Application of maternal and infant nutrition knowledge in clinical and public health settings as strategies to address Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2.1 and 2.2 </p>
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<p>Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment.</p>
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Overview
Key information
Requisites
Learning outcomes
Assessment
FedTASK
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Overview
Unit description
<p>Maternal and infant nutrition is a vital area of study that focuses on the dietary needs and health considerations of mothers, infants, and their families. This unit examines nutritional requirements during pregnancy and lactation, the influence of maternal diet on fetal development, and common nutritional deficiencies, along with strategies for prevention and management. Public health initiatives aimed at improving maternal and infant dietary outcomes will also be examined. Students will gain an understanding of the physiological basis for healthy weight gain during pregnancy, including evidence-based guidelines informed by pre-pregnancy health status. The implications of both insufficient and excessive weight gain, including the retention of gestational weight and its effects on long-term maternal health, will be discussed. Particular attention will be paid to the prevalence and consequences of under- and overweight in pregnancy, as well as the influence of weight stigma and its impact on care provision. The unit also provides an in-depth examination of infant feeding practices, including breastfeeding, formula feeding, the use of human milk banks and milk sharing. Students will learn how to assess feeding, develop feeding plans, and offer culturally safe, context-sensitive support that reflects the lived experiences and preferences of women and families. By the end of this unit, students will have gained a comprehensive understanding of the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence maternal and infant nutrition. They will be equipped to apply this knowledge in midwifery and public health contexts.</p>
Unit content
<p><span >The ANMAC National Accreditation Standards for the Midwife (2021); NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice (2018); NMBA Code of Conduct for the Midwife (2018); and the NMBA Code of Ethics for the Midwife (2014) have substantially informed the syllabus/content of this unit.</span></p> <p><span >Topics may include:</span></p> <p>· Essential nutritional requirements during pregnancy</p> <p>· Impact of maternal diet on fetal development and pregnancy outcomes, including pregnancy variations such as hyperemesis gravidarum, gestational diabetes, anaemia, vegan/vegetarian or other diets.</p> <p>· Guidelines for healthy weight gain during pregnancy</p> <p>· Potential risks of abnormal weight gain during pregnancy</p> <p>· Retention of gestational weight gain postpartum and its long-term effects on maternal health and future pregnancies</p> <p>· Prevalence of over and under-weight in pregnancy and associated risks, and management</p> <p>· Review of sociocultural, economic, and relational contexts' influence on women’s infant feeding decision-making</p> <p>· Benefits, challenges, and nutritional considerations of breastfeeding and formula feeding</p> <p>· Common nutritional deficiencies in mothers and infants</p> <p>· Effective strategies to address nutritional deficiencies</p> <p>· Role of public health initiatives in promoting optimal maternal and infant nutrition</p> <p>· Application of maternal and infant nutrition knowledge in clinical and public health settings as strategies to address Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2.1 and 2.2 </p>
Key information
Institute / school:
Institute of Health and Wellbeing
Discipline:
Midwifery
Study level:
Undergraduate
Credit points:
15
EFTSL:
0.125
Field of education:
<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/midbm3002">060303 - Midwifery</a>
Grade scheme:
Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
Placement component:
No
Requisites
Prerequisite
None
Corequisite
None
Exclusion
None
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
<p>On successful completion of this unit, students are expected to gain the following [K]nowledge, [S]kills and [A]pplication of knowledge & skills</p>
Learning Outcomes
Ref
Outcome
K1
<p>Analyse the impact of maternal diet on fetal development and overall pregnancy outcomes.</p>
K2
<p>Identify the essential nutritional requirements and common deficiencies in pregnancy, lactation, and infants and effective strategies to address these.</p>
K3
<p>Understand the physiological process of weight gain in supporting pregnancy and lactation, prevalence of under and overweight in pregnancy, associated risks, and strategies for prevention and management.</p>
K4
<p>Identify strategies to manage infant feeding issues in the perinatal period.</p>
S1
<p>Communicate evidence-based guidelines to women using supportive, non-stigmatising language for healthy weight gain during pregnancy that also addresses any potential risks of abnormal weight gain.</p>
S2
<p>Recognise the complexities inherent for women in decision-making regarding infant feeding.</p>
S3
<p>Develop skills necessary to conduct feeding assessments for infants receiving breastmilk with or without breastmilk substitutes.</p>
S4
<p>Evaluate the retention of gestational weight gain and its long-term effects on future pregnancies and maternal health.</p>
A1
<p>Develop and implement feeding care plans for women and families with complex infant feeding needs.</p>
A2
<p>Apply knowledge of maternal and infant nutrition to public health initiatives and health education to support the wellbeing of mothers and their babies. </p>
Assessment
Learning Tasks and Assessment
Ref
Learning task
Assessment type
Weighting
Learning outcomes assessed
1
<p>Application of theoretical concepts to a complex infant feeding/maternal nutrition scenario</p>
<p>Written task</p>
<p>40-60%</p>
K1, K2, K3, K4, S2, S3, A1
2
<p>Demonstrate health promotion concepts related to maternal/infant nutrition </p>
<p>Audio-visual presentation</p>
<p>40-60%</p>
K2, K3, S1, S2, S4, A2
Supplementary assessment available:
Yes
Supplimentary assessment information:
<p>Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment.</p>
FedTASK
FedTASK
<p>Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FedTASKs (<strong>T</strong>ransferable <strong>A</strong>ttributes <strong>S</strong>kills and <strong>K</strong>nowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key, transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and co-operative learning opportunities.</p>
FedTASK
Description of FedTASK outcome
Level
FedTASK 1: Interpersonal
The ability to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups.
<p>Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context</p>
FedTASK 2: Leadership
The ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others.
<p>Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context</p>
FedTASK 3: Critical Thinking and Creativity
The ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using imagination to create new ideas.
<p>Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context</p>
FedTASK 4: Digital Literacy
The ability to work fluently across a range of tools and applications to achieve a range of skills.
<p>Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines</p>
FedTASK 5: Sustainable and Ethical Mindset
The ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions.
<p>Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context</p>
Key information
Institute / school:
Institute of Health and Wellbeing
Discipline:
Midwifery
Study level:
Undergraduate
Credit points:
15
EFTSL:
0.125
Field of education:
<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/midbm3002">060303 - Midwifery</a>
Grade scheme:
Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
Placement component:
No
Disclaimer
<em>Information in the Federation Handbook is correct at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to alter any course, unit, procedure or fee.</em>
Additional information
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Internal reference: MIDBM3002 - U1.1