Protein

2.5. It has already been pointed out in section 1.5 that the recommended allowance for dietary protein during lactation represents a proportionately greater increment than that for pregnancy. A combination of low-baseline total energy intakes, plus the virtual lack of any significant increase in food intake during lactation, or any change in dietary pattern towards more protein-rich foods, inevitably means that the RDA for protein may not be achieved during lactation in some developing countries. The situation is understandably worse in those countries that have starchy root crops like cassava of plantains as their dietary staple. In contrast to studies on the preschool child, however, there have been few comparative studies on the relative effects of protein and energy deficiencies on the process of lactation, although it is known that a clinical state closely resembling that of kwashiorkor can occur in lactating women who are forced to live solely on cassava or plantain without added foods such as meat, fish, or beans (section 3.3).