Recent research conducted by UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley has uncovered that malnutrition impacts babies earlier than previously believed. This emphasizes the urgency for increased nutritional assistance for expectant mothers and newborns to mitigate health risks.
The findings, published in three papers in the journal Nature on September 13, 2023, provide an extensive examination of malnutrition's effects on early childhood growth, revealing the alarming situation faced by countless children in regions like the Global South, particularly Asia.
Malnutrition in Numbers
In 2022, nearly 150 million children, over one in five globally, suffered from insufficient calorie intake for healthy growth. Among them, more than 45 million exhibited signs of wasting, indicating they weighed too little for their height. Wasting and stunting, both consequences of malnutrition, lead to grim outcomes: over a million children die annually due to wasting, while another 250,000 succumb to stunting.
Furthermore, individuals who experience these conditions during childhood often face compromised cognitive development, with enduring economic repercussions in adulthood.
Stunting reflects chronic malnutrition, while wasting signifies acute malnutrition. These indicators are pivotal for the global health community to gauge progress in combating malnutrition.
Research led by Benjamin Arnold, an associate professor at UCSF's Francis I. Proctor Foundation, revealed that children whose growth falters before six months of age face significantly higher mortality rates and an elevated risk of severe growth impairments by 18 to 24 months.
This highlights a narrow window for intervention, ideally during the prenatal period. Moreover, broader strategies are imperative to enhance the nutritional status of women of childbearing age. Arnold, an infectious disease epidemiologist and biostatistician, conducted this research while affiliated with UC Berkeley, in collaboration with the (CTML).
Birth Timing Based on Seasons Improve Malnutrition Outcomes
An international team of over 100 researchers led by UC Berkeley examined data from nearly 84,000 children under two years old in 15 countries across South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe from studies conducted between 1987 and 2014.
Malnutrition's impact is pronounced in lower resource settings, especially in South Asia, where approximately 20% of children were stunted at birth and over 52% experienced wasting by their second birthday. Seasonal changes in wasting were observed, correlating with rainfall and reflecting food insecurity in regions reliant on crops for nutrition.
Children born in May in South Asian cohorts were more likely to experience wasting compared to those born in January, linked to seasonal food availability and maternal nutrition during pregnancy. The study highlights the lasting effects of birth timing on a child's growth trajectory, with no known health interventions currently addressing seasonal deficits.
Early Childhood Interventions Crucial for Combating Malnutrition Side Effects
Public health interventions should target children under 6 months and pregnant mothers due to the early onset of growth faltering. Current interventions typically start after six months to avoid breastfeeding interference. If interventions aren't delivered before six months, it may be too late for a significant portion of affected children, particularly in South Asia.
The research also emphasizes the importance of providing nutritional and health support to women before conception and throughout pregnancy to break the cycle of malnutrition across generations. Immediate interventions and sustained investments are crucial to combating early life malnutrition's far-reaching impact.
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