Human growth is a measure of the physiological processes associated with birth weight, genetics, and environment. Poor environmental factors, including inadequate health care and nutrition can prevent the attainment of one’s full growth potential (Martorell, 1999; Pelletier, 1994; Monckeberg 1992). Health care providers that practice high quality prenatal and child healthcare can directly influence the efficacy of the production of child health inasmuch as their practices have an empirical basis. The major assumption, therefore, is that the pathways of influence have a strong empirical foundation, ., that good technical quality care during both pre- and post-natal periods.
