Maternal and child nutrition encompasses a wide range of meanings, depending on the country of residence of the mother. In summary, the objective is to bring the mother and her child to an optimal state of health and nutrition to combat diseases and deficiencies that may occur and put the mother and child at risk before, during or after pregnancy. Many developing countries lack the capacity to provide quality healthcare to their citizens and Jamaica is no exception. In Jamaica, common deficiencies are associated with maternal and child nutrition, such as anemia, vitamin A deficiency and iodine deficiency10. These deficiencies can also affect a mother before conception and after the birth of her child. The diet of mother and child can also be characterized separately. According to the World Health Organization, a mother's diet is characterized by moderate to severe thinness, underweight, overweight or obesity10. Weight is measured by body mass index (BMI) values10. BMI is a weight/height classification for adults10. It is defined as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters (kg/m2)10. A BMI of 18.5 and 24.9 would be considered a normal weight for an adult10. Therefore, body weight above or below the recommended average during pregnancy could lead to serious complications for mother and child. Anemia can also affect a mother during pregnancy and is a global problem in developing countries and the English-speaking Caribbean4, 6. The WHO defines anemia in pregnant women as a hemoglobin concentration < 110 g/ l at sea level10. It is important to note that the Jamaican standards for anemia vary depending on the weeks of gestation, while the WHO standards for anemia for hemoglobin level...... middle of article ......ernay, J., & Grantham-McGregor, S. (2004). Feasibility of integrating early stimulation into primary care for undernourished Jamaican children: a cluster randomized controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 329(7457), 89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136%2Fbmj.38132.503472.7CSurkan, PJ, Kennedy, CE, Hurley, KM and Black, MM (2011). Maternal depression and early childhood growth in developing countries: systematic review and meta-analysis. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 89(8), 607-605D. http://dx.doi.org/10.2471%2FBLT.11.088187United Nations Children's Fund. (2003). Jamaica. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/jamaica_2166.htmlWorld Health Organization. (2010). Country profile indicators: interpretation guide. Nutrition Landscape Information System. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/nutrition/nlis_interpretation_guide.pdf