Background: The first 1000 days of life, including pregnancy and the first 2 years of age have been
considered essential for an adequate development and growth. Several studies have stated that
malnutrition during pregnancy and not having a normal birth weight have negative impact on
childhood and adulthood, and contribute to burden of disease. Adequate information on this matter
provides the possibility for making recommendations on health and nutrition policies. Objective:
The aim is to describe the nutritional status during the first 1000 days in four countries of
Latin America: Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Brazil. Methods: The analysis consists of two
complementary approaches: 1) An extensive search on published and gray literature and a critical
analysis of secondary data bases was conducted in Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Brazil following
a standardized methodology in 2013. Maternal and child nutritional status, breast feeding, nutritional
deficiencies, and dietary habits during the first 1000 days were the variables of interest; 2)
Information gaps were identified, interviews to local experts from academia, government and
hospitals were conducted to fill each of the countries information gap. Data was organized in an
online data base called NutriPl@net. Results: Despite the inherent country differences, the nutritional
challenges during the first 1000 days are similar. Obesity prevalence is increasing in pregnant
women. Under weight remains a problem in all 4 countries, with the highest prevalence in Argentina.
Over weight prevalence is highest in Chile and obesity prevalence in Brazil. Micronutrient
deficiencies in pregnant women have been described, especially high for folic acid, iron, zinc, vitamins
A, B6, B12, C, E and riboflavin.