Maternal and child undernutrition: global and regional exposures and health consequences (original) (raw)
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Global Burden of Maternal and Child Undernutrition and Micronutrient Deficiencies
Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2012
Most women living in developing countries experience various biologic and social stresses that increase the risk of malnutrition of mother and child. It is imperative to control the problem by scaling up direct nutrition interventions as well as addressing female illiteracy, lack of livelihoods, and women's empowerment.
2021
13 years after the first Lancet Series on maternal and child undernutrition, we reviewed the progress achieved on the basis of global estimates and new analyses of 50 low-income and middle-income countries with national surveys from around 2000 and 2015. The prevalence of childhood stunting has fallen, and linear growth faltering in early life has become less pronounced over time, markedly in middle-income countries but less so in low-income countries. Stunting and wasting remain public health problems in low-income countries, where 4·7% of children are simultaneously affected by both, a condition associated with a 4·8-times increase in mortality. New evidence shows that stunting and wasting might already be present at birth, and that the incidence of both conditions peaks in the first 6 months of life. Global low birthweight prevalence declined slowly at about 1·0% a year. Knowledge has accumulated on the short-term and long-term consequences of child undernutrition and on its adve...
Child Malnutrition at Different World Regions in (1990-2013)
International Journal of Pediatrics, 2015
Adequate nutrition is essential in early childhood to ensure healthy growth, proper organ formation and function, a strong immune system, and neurological and cognitive development. Child malnutrition – as measured by poor child growth – is an important indicator for monitoring population nutritional status and health. In 2013, about 17%, or 98 million children under five years of age in developing countries were underweight (low weight-for-age according to the WHO child growth standards). Underweight prevalence is highest in the United Nation (UN) region of Southern Asia (30%), followed by Western Africa (21%), Oceania and Eastern Africa (both 19%) and South-Eastern Asia and Middle Africa (both 16%), and Southern Africa 12%. Prevalence below 10% for 2013 is estimated for the UN regions of Eastern, Central and Western Asia, Northern Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. Childhood malnutrition, including fetal growth restriction, suboptimum breastfeeding, stunting, wasting and ...
Maternal and child undernutrition: effective action at national level
The Lancet, 2008
80% of the world's undernourished children live in just 20 countries. Intensified nutrition action in these countries can lead to achievement of the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and greatly increase the chances of achieving goals for child and maternal mortality (MDGs 4 and 5). Despite isolated successes in specific countries or for interventions--eg, iodised salt and vitamin A supplementation--most countries with high rates of undernutrition are failing to reach undernourished mothers and children with effective interventions supported by appropriate policies. This paper reports on an assessment of actions addressing undernutrition in the countries with the highest burden of undernutrition, drawing on systematic reviews and best-practice reports. Seven key challenges for addressing undernutrition at national level are defined and reported on: getting nutrition on the list of priorities, and keeping it there; doing the right things; not doing the wrong things; acting at scale; reaching those in need; data-based decisionmaking; and building strategic and operational capacity. Interventions with proven effectiveness that are selected by countries should be rapidly implemented at scale. The period from pregnancy to 24 months of age is a crucial window of opportunity for reducing undernutrition and its adverse effects. Programme efforts, as well as monitoring and assessment, should focus on this segment of the continuum of care. Nutrition resources should not be used to support actions unlikely to be effective in the context of country or local realities. Nutrition resources should not be used to support actions that have not been proven to have a direct effect on undernutrition, such as stand-alone growth monitoring or school feeding programmes. In addition to health and nutrition interventions, economic and social policies addressing poverty, trade, and agriculture that have been associated with rapid improvements in nutritional status should be implemented. There is a reservoir of important experience and expertise in individual countries about how to build commitment, develop and monitor nutrition programmes, move toward acting at scale, reform or phase-out ineffective programmes, and other challenges. This resource needs to be formalised, shared, and used as the basis for setting priorities in problem-solving research for nutrition.
Nutritional Deficiencies in the Developing World: Current Status and Opportunities for Intervention
Pediatric Clinics of North America, 2010
Nutritional deficiencies are widely prevalent globally, and contribute significantly to high rates of morbidity and mortality among infants, children, and mothers in developing countries. Several contributory factors such as poverty, lack of purchasing power, household food insecurity, and limited general knowledge about appropriate nutritional practices increase the risk of undernutrition in developing countries. The most recent estimates 1 indicate that 178 million children younger than 5 years are stunted, representing 32% of all children worldwide, and a further 19 million have severe acute malnutrition (SAM).
Regional overview of maternal and child malnutrition: Trends, interventions and outcomes
Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de santé de la Méditerranée orientale = al-Majallah al-ṣiḥḥīyah li-sharq al-mutawassiṭ
The proportions of underweight, wasted, and stunted children, as well as the infant and under-5 mortality rates, have all exhibited downward trends in the Region over the past 2 decades. This is in part attributable to maternal and child nutrition intervention programmes, especially those in which women were actively involved. Programmes which support and promote breastfeeding, such as the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, have also contributed to this trend, although the number of baby friendly hospitals varies considerably between countries. Available information also shows that anemia is quite common among women, many of whom also have a low weight and stature and seem to suffer from osteoporosis. In several countries of the Region a number of micronutrient deficiency control programmes are in progress, such as iron supplementation for pregnant women, fortification of flour and iodization of salt. Iodine deficiency disorders are under control in 2 countries of the Region and legislation for salt iodization is in place in 17 countries. Prevalence of severe malnutrition in children is much lower than that of milder levels, thus, promotion of the nutrition status of mildly to moderately malnourished children could lead to a sizeable reduction in child mortality.