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Potani I, Tausanovitch Z, Ritz C, Briend A, Coulibaly IN, Ouédraogo CT, Manda G, Kangas ST. The relationship between energy provided and growth during severe wasting treatment. MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION 2024:e13693. [PMID: 39101244 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Treatment of severe acute malnutrition aims at producing quick catch-up growth in children to decrease their short-term mortality risk. The extent to which catch-up growth is influenced by the amount of energy provided is unclear. This study assessed whether energy provided at admission is associated with catch-up ponderal growth among children with mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) < 115 mm at admission. We conducted a secondary data analysis an operational cohort in Mali. The children were treated with a simplified protocol providing 1000 kcal/day of therapeutic food until MUAC ≥ 115 mm was achieved for two consecutive weeks and 500 kcal/day thereafter until discharge with MUAC ≥ 125 mm for two consecutive weeks. Linear mixed-effects regression models were fitted to assess the relationship between energy provided at admission (kcal/kg/day) with weight gain velocity (g/kg/day) (primary outcome), change in MUAC -for-age z-score and change in weight-for-age z-score. Unadjusted models and models adjusted for sex, age, seasonality and MUAC at admission were fitted. Both models included the study site as a random effect. A 10 kcal/kg/day increase in energy provided at admission was associated with increments in all outcomes; for weight gain velocity, the mean (95% CI) increment was 0.340 [0.326, 0.354] g/kg/day and 0.466 [0.446, 0.485] g/kg/day in the unadjusted and adjusted analysis, respectively. A positive relationship exists between energy provided at admission and catch-up ponderal growth in children with MUAC < 115 mm treated using a simplified protocol. Determining the ideal weight gain rate remains essential for assessing the benefits and risks of increased energy intake during treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Potani
- Airbel Impact Lab, International Rescue Committee, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Christian Ritz
- National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - André Briend
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Geoffrey Manda
- Global Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Suvi T Kangas
- Airbel Impact Lab, International Rescue Committee, New York, New York, USA
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Ow MYL, Tran NT, Berde Y, Nguyen TS, Tran VK, Jablonka MJ, Baggs GE, Huynh DTT. Oral nutritional supplementation with dietary counseling improves linear catch-up growth and health outcomes in children with or at risk of undernutrition: a randomized controlled trial. Front Nutr 2024; 11:1341963. [PMID: 39050140 PMCID: PMC11266289 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1341963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Childhood undernutrition is associated with increased morbidity, mortality and a high socio-economic burden. Methods Supporting Pediatric GRowth and Health OUTcomes (SPROUT) is a randomized, controlled trial evaluating the effects of an oral nutritional supplement (ONS) with dietary counseling (DC; n = 164) compared to a DC-only group who continued consuming their habitual milk (n = 166; NCT05239208). Children aged 24-60 months who were at risk or with undernutrition, as defined by weight-for-age [WAZ] < -1 and height-for-age [HAZ] < -1 according to the WHO Growth Standards, and who also met the criterion of weight-for-height [WHZ] < 0, were enrolled in Vietnam. Results ONS + DC had a larger WAZ increase at day 120 (primary endpoint) vs. DC (least squares mean, LSM (SE): 0.30 (0.02) vs. 0.13 (0.02); p < 0.001), and larger improvements in all weight, BMI and weight-for-height indices at day 30 and 120 (all p < 0.01). Height gain was larger in ONS + DC in all indices, including height-for-age difference [HAD; cm: 0.56 (0.07) vs. 0.10 (0.07); p < 0.001], at day 120. ONS + DC had larger arm muscle but not arm fat indices, higher parent-rated appetite, physical activity and energy levels, longer night sleep, fewer and shorter awakenings, and better sleep quality than DC. Conclusion Adding ONS to DC, compared to DC-alone, improves growth in weight and height, linear catch-up growth, and health outcomes in children with or at risk of undernutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Y. L. Ow
- Abbott Nutrition R&D Asia Pacific-Center, Abbott Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nga Thuy Tran
- Department of Micronutrients, National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Yatin Berde
- Statistical Services, Cognizant Technologies Solution Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, India
| | - Tu Song Nguyen
- Department of General Planning, National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Van Khanh Tran
- Department of Micronutrients, National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | | | - Dieu T. T. Huynh
- Abbott Nutrition R&D Asia Pacific-Center, Abbott Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
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Thurstans S, Opondo C, Bailey J, Stobaugh H, Loddo F, Wrottesley SV, Seal A, Myatt M, Briend A, Garenne M, Mertens A, Wells J, Sear R, Kerac M. How age and sex affect treatment outcomes for children with severe malnutrition: A multi-country secondary data analysis. MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION 2024; 20:e13596. [PMID: 38048342 PMCID: PMC11168354 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Age and sex influence the risk of childhood wasting. We aimed to determine if wasting treatment outcomes differ by age and sex in children under 5 years, enroled in therapeutic and supplementary feeding programmes. Utilising data from stage 1 of the ComPAS trial, we used logistic regression to assess the association between age, sex and wasting treatment outcomes (recovery, death, default, non-response, and transfer), modelling the likelihood of recovery versus all other outcomes. We used linear regression to calculate differences in mean length of stay (LOS) and mean daily weight gain by age and sex. Data from 6929 children from Kenya, Chad, Yemen and South Sudan was analysed. Girls in therapeutic feeding programmes were less likely to recover than boys (pooled odds ratio [OR]: 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.72-0.97, p = 0.018). This association was statistically significant in Chad (OR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39-0.95, p = 0.030) and Yemen (OR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.27-0.81, p = 0.006), but not in Kenya and South Sudan. Multinomial analysis, however, showed no difference in recovery between sexes. There was no difference between sexes for LOS, but older children (24-59 months) had a shorter mean LOS than younger children (6-23 months). Mean daily weight gain was consistently lower in boys compared with girls. We found few differences in wasting treatment outcomes by sex and age. The results do not indicate a need to change current programme inclusion requirements or treatment protocols on the basis of sex or age, but future research in other settings should continue to investigate the aetiology of differences in recovery and implications for treatment protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Thurstans
- Department of Population HealthLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Charles Opondo
- Department of Medical StatisticsLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population HealthUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | | | | | | | | | - Andy Seal
- UCL Institute for Global HealthLondonUK
| | | | - André Briend
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health ResearchTampere University and Tampere University HospitalTampereFinland
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and SportsUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Michel Garenne
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMI RésiliencesBondyFrance
- Department of Statistics and Population StudiesUniversity of the Western CapeCape TownSouth Africa
- FERDIUniversité d'AuvergneClermont‐FerrandFrance
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Andrew Mertens
- University of California, Berkeley School of Public HealthBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jonathan Wells
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching DepartmentUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthLondonUK
| | - Rebecca Sear
- Department of Population HealthLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Marko Kerac
- Department of Population HealthLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
- Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive & Child Health Centre (MARCH)London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineLondonUK
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Mostafa I, Hibberd MC, Hartman SJ, Hafizur Rahman MH, Mahfuz M, Hasan SMT, Ashorn P, Barratt MJ, Ahmed T, Gordon JI. A microbiota-directed complementary food intervention in 12-18-month-old Bangladeshi children improves linear growth. EBioMedicine 2024; 104:105166. [PMID: 38833839 PMCID: PMC11179573 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, stunting affects ∼150 million children under five, while wasting affects nearly 50 million. Current interventions have had limited effectiveness in ameliorating long-term sequelae of undernutrition including stunting, cognitive deficits and immune dysfunction. Disrupted development of the gut microbiota has been linked to the pathogenesis of undernutrition, providing potentially new treatment approaches. METHODS 124 Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) enrolled (at 12-18 months) in a previously reported 3-month RCT of a microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF-2) were followed for two years. Weight and length were monitored by anthropometry, the abundances of bacterial strains were assessed by quantifying metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) in serially collected fecal samples and levels of growth-associated proteins were measured in plasma. FINDINGS Children who had received MDCF-2 were significantly less stunted during follow-up than those who received a standard ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) [linear mixed-effects model, βtreatment group x study week (95% CI) = 0.002 (0.001, 0.003); P = 0.004]. They also had elevated fecal abundances of Agathobacter faecis, Blautia massiliensis, Lachnospira and Dialister, plus increased levels of a group of 37 plasma proteins (linear model; FDR-adjusted P < 0.1), including IGF-1, neurotrophin receptor NTRK2 and multiple proteins linked to musculoskeletal and CNS development, that persisted for 6-months post-intervention. INTERPRETATION MDCF-2 treatment of Bangladeshi children with MAM, which produced significant improvements in wasting during intervention, also reduced stunting during follow-up. These results suggest that the effectiveness of supplementary foods for undernutrition may be improved by including ingredients that sponsor healthy microbiota-host co-development. FUNDING This work was supported by the BMGF (Grants OPP1134649/INV-000247).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishita Mostafa
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh; Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Matthew C Hibberd
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA; The Newman Center for Gut Microbiome and Nutrition Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Steven J Hartman
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA; The Newman Center for Gut Microbiome and Nutrition Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Md Hasan Hafizur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Mustafa Mahfuz
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh; Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - S M Tafsir Hasan
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Per Ashorn
- Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Michael J Barratt
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA; The Newman Center for Gut Microbiome and Nutrition Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Tahmeed Ahmed
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Jeffrey I Gordon
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA; The Newman Center for Gut Microbiome and Nutrition Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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Widjaja NA, Hamida A, Purnomo MT, Satjadibrata A, Sari PP, Handini LS, Novi T, Hanindita MH, Irawan R. Effect of high-calorie formula on weight, height increment, IGF-1 and TLC in growth faltering children: A quasi-experimental study. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28834. [PMID: 38623243 PMCID: PMC11016603 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
High-calorie formulas have been used to promote catch-up growth in undernourished children. The level of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is closely related to weight and nutritional intake, whereas low a total lymphocyte count (TLC) is associated with impaired immune system function in undernourished children. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of high-calorie formula as an intervention on weight, height increment, IGF-1 and TLC in children with growth faltering or undernutrition. A quasi-experimental study with pre- and post-design was conducted in the outpatient clinic of a private hospital during October 2021-July 2022 on children with growth failure and underlying infection. For 90 days, subjects were given a high-calorie formula. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was then conducted to measure IGF-1, followed by a complete blood count examination. Subjects were divided into two groups based on age: Group 1 (12-24 months) and Group 2 (>24-60 months). There was a significant increment in body weight and body length/height after intervention but no significant difference between the groups. The increment of body length/height after intervention was greater in Group 1 than Group 2 (p = 0.000) and reduced the incidence of stunted/severely stunted and wasted/severely wasted children (p > 0.05). IGF-1 increased after the intervention but with no significant difference (1.42 ± 8.31 ng/ml; p = 0.144). There was a significant reduction in TLC after the intervention (1194.34 + 4400.34 cells/mm3; p = 0.002) that was reduced in Group 1 and slightly increased in Group 2 (p = 0.003). Being underweight/severely underweight increased the risk of a low TLC by 27.658-fold but this risk was reduced by 25.904-fold after nutritional intervention. High-calorie formula intervention increases body weight and body length/height, reduces the incidence of underweight, stunted and wasted children and improves IGF-1 levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Aisiyah Widjaja
- Child Health Department, Airlangga/Dr.Soetomo General Academic Teaching Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia
- Child Health, Husada Utama Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Azizah Hamida
- Child Health Department, Airlangga/Dr.Soetomo General Academic Teaching Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Marisa Tulus Purnomo
- Child Health Department, Airlangga/Dr.Soetomo General Academic Teaching Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Azarina Satjadibrata
- Child Health Department, Airlangga/Dr.Soetomo General Academic Teaching Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Putri Permata Sari
- Child Health Department, Airlangga/Dr.Soetomo General Academic Teaching Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | | | - Theresia Novi
- Clinical Pathology, Husada Utama Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Meta Herdiana Hanindita
- Child Health Department, Airlangga/Dr.Soetomo General Academic Teaching Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Roedi Irawan
- Child Health Department, Airlangga/Dr.Soetomo General Academic Teaching Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia
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Krause RJ, Scott ME, Sinisterra OT, Koski KG. Preschool child growth attainment and velocity during an agriculture intervention in rural Panama may be diminished by soil-transmitted helminths. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1122528. [PMID: 37829089 PMCID: PMC10565504 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1122528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Agricultural interventions are often recommended to address undernutrition in subsistence farming communities. However, intensified agriculture exposure can increase soil transmitted helminth (STH) infections, which are linked with poor child growth. This study examined impacts of the VERASAN public health and agricultural intervention program on preschool child growth attainment (HAZ and WAZ) and relative growth velocity over 7 months [change in height-for-age (∆HAD) and weight-for-age (∆WAD) difference]. Methods VERASAN was initiated in 15 subsistence farming communities in rural Panama experiencing chronic undernutrition. Activities targeted improved household food security, preschool child diets and growth by intensifying and diversifying household agriculture. Our objectives were to explore the relationship between VERASAN and preschool child growth attainment (HAZ and WAZ) and velocity (∆HAD and ∆WAD) during one agricultural cycle in 238 households. We compared those new to VERASAN with those involved for 1 or 5 years, and identified if agricultural practices, food security, diet diversity and treatment of pre-existing STH infection were associated with growth attainment or velocity. Results Prior participation in VERASAN did not directly influence WAZ, HAZ or ΔHAD but VERASAN-related benefits had an indirect influence. ΔHAD was positively associated with VERASAN-associated improvements in diet diversity and food security. HAZ and WAZ during land preparation were positively associated with diet diversity and HAZ with food security during harvest. HAZ was negatively associated with children visiting the agricultural plot, consuming leafy green vegetables and pre-existing hookworm infections. Both agricultural season and STH influenced ΔWAD. Children in VERASAN for 1 or 5 years experienced growth faltering between land preparation and growing season, but not those new to VERASAN. In contrast, between growing and harvest, ∆WAD declined in children new to VERASAN compared to children in VERASAN for longer. ΔWAD from land preparation to harvest was higher with pre-existing Ascaris infection whereas it was lower between growing season and harvest for pre-existing hookworm infection. Conclusion In a context of preschool child growth faltering, malnutrition and STH infections, improved food security, agricultural production and diet diversity associated with VERASAN were associated with improved growth. In contrast, STH infections were negatively associated with some, but not all, growth outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel J. Krause
- Department of Science, Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Marilyn E. Scott
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Khara T, Myatt M, Sadler K, Bahwere P, Berkley JA, Black RE, Boyd E, Garenne M, Isanaka S, Lelijveld N, McDonald C, Mertens A, Mwangome M, O’Brien K, Stobaugh H, Taneja S, West KP, Briend A. Anthropometric criteria for best-identifying children at high risk of mortality: a pooled analysis of twelve cohorts. Public Health Nutr 2023; 26:1-17. [PMID: 36734049 PMCID: PMC10131149 DOI: 10.1017/s136898002300023x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To understand which anthropometric diagnostic criteria best discriminate higher from lower risk of death in children and explore programme implications. DESIGN A multiple cohort individual data meta-analysis of mortality risk (within 6 months of measurement) by anthropometric case definitions. Sensitivity, specificity, informedness and inclusivity in predicting mortality, face validity and compatibility with current standards and practice were assessed and operational consequences were modelled. SETTING Community-based cohort studies in twelve low-income countries between 1977 and 2013 in settings where treatment of wasting was not widespread. PARTICIPANTS Children aged 6 to 59 months. RESULTS Of the twelve anthropometric case definitions examined, four (weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ) <-2), (mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) <125 mm), (MUAC < 115 mm or WAZ < -3) and (WAZ < -3) had the highest informedness in predicting mortality. A combined case definition (MUAC < 115 mm or WAZ < -3) was better at predicting deaths associated with weight-for-height Z-score <-3 and concurrent wasting and stunting (WaSt) than the single WAZ < -3 case definition. After the assessment of all criteria, the combined case definition performed best. The simulated workload for programmes admitting based on MUAC < 115 mm or WAZ < -3, when adjusted with a proxy for required intensity and/or duration of treatment, was 1·87 times larger than programmes admitting on MUAC < 115 mm alone. CONCLUSIONS A combined case definition detects nearly all deaths associated with severe anthropometric deficits suggesting that therapeutic feeding programmes may achieve higher impact (prevent mortality and improve coverage) by using it. There remain operational questions to examine further before wide-scale adoption can be recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Khara
- Emergency Nutrition Network, ENN, 2nd Floor, Marlborough House, 69 High St, Kidlington, OX5 2DN, UK
| | - Mark Myatt
- Brixton Health, Llwyngwril, Gwynedd, Wales, UK
| | - Kate Sadler
- Emergency Nutrition Network, ENN, 2nd Floor, Marlborough House, 69 High St, Kidlington, OX5 2DN, UK
| | - Paluku Bahwere
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Clinical Research Centre, School of Public Health, Université libre de Bruxelles
| | - James A Berkley
- Centre for Tropical Medicine & Global Health, University of Oxford, UK
- KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Robert E Black
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - Erin Boyd
- USAID/Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, USA
| | - Michel Garenne
- IRD, UMI Résiliences, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Epidémiologie des Maladies Emergentes, Paris, France
- FERDI, Université d’Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sheila Isanaka
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Epicentre, Paris, France
| | - Natasha Lelijveld
- Emergency Nutrition Network, ENN, 2nd Floor, Marlborough House, 69 High St, Kidlington, OX5 2DN, UK
| | - Christine McDonald
- Departments of Pediatrics, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, USA
- Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Andrew Mertens
- Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | | | - Kieran O’Brien
- The F.I. Proctor Foundation, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Heather Stobaugh
- Action Against Hunger USA, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sunita Taneja
- Center for Health Research and Development, Society for Applied Studies, New Delhi, India
| | - Keith P West
- Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - André Briend
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Fredericksberg, Denmark
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Sadler K, James PT, Bhutta ZA, Briend A, Isanaka S, Mertens A, Myatt M, O'Brien KS, Webb P, Khara T, Wells JC. How Can Nutrition Research Better Reflect the Relationship Between Wasting and Stunting in Children? Learnings from the Wasting and Stunting Project. J Nutr 2023; 152:2645-2651. [PMID: 35687496 PMCID: PMC9839990 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood wasting and stunting affect large numbers of children globally. Both are important risk factors for illness and death yet, despite the fact that these conditions can share common risk factors and are often seen in the same child, they are commonly portrayed as relatively distinct manifestations of undernutrition. In 2014, the Wasting and Stunting project was launched by the Emergency Nutrition Network. Its aim was to better understand the complex relationship and associations between wasting and stunting and examine whether current separations that were apparent in approaches to policy, financing, and programs were justified or useful. Based on the project's work, this article aims to bring a wasting and stunting lens to how research is designed and financed in order for the nutrition community to better understand, prevent, and treat child undernutrition. Discussion of lessons learnt focuses on the synergy and temporal relationships between children's weight loss and linear growth faltering, the proximal and distal factors that drive diverse forms of undernutrition, and identifying and targeting people most at risk. Supporting progress in all these areas requires research collaborations across interest groups that highlight the value of research that moves beyond a focus on single forms of undernutrition, and ensures that there is equal attention given to wasting as to other forms of malnutrition, wherever it is present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Sadler
- Emergency Nutrition Network, Kidlington, United Kingdom
| | | | - Zulfiqar A Bhutta
- Center for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
- Center of Excellence in Women & Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - André Briend
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Child Health Research, Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Sheila Isanaka
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Epicentre, Paris, France
| | - Andrew Mertens
- Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Mark Myatt
- Emergency Nutrition Network, Kidlington, United Kingdom
- Brixton Health, Llwyngwril, Gwynedd, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Kieran S O'Brien
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Patrick Webb
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tanya Khara
- Emergency Nutrition Network, Kidlington, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan C Wells
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (ICH), University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
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Odei Obeng‐Amoako GA, Stobaugh H, Wrottesley SV, Khara T, Binns P, Trehan I, Black RE, Webb P, Mwangome M, Bailey J, Bahwere P, Dolan C, Boyd E, Briend A, Myatt MA, Lelijveld N. How do children with severe underweight and wasting respond to treatment? A pooled secondary data analysis to inform future intervention studies. MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION 2023; 19:e13434. [PMID: 36262055 PMCID: PMC9749592 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Children with weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) <-3 have a high risk of death, yet this indicator is not widely used in nutrition treatment programming. This pooled secondary data analysis of children aged 6-59 months aimed to examine the prevalence, treatment outcomes, and growth trajectories of children with WAZ <-3 versus children with WAZ ≥-3 receiving outpatient treatment for wasting and/or nutritional oedema, to inform future protocols. Binary treatment outcomes between WAZ <-3 and WAZ ≥-3 admissions were compared using logistic regression. Recovery was defined as attaining mid-upper-arm circumference ≥12.5 cm and weight-for-height z-score ≥-2, without oedema, within a period of 17 weeks of admission. Data from 24,829 children from 9 countries drawn from 13 datasets were included. 55% of wasted children had WAZ <-3. Children admitted with WAZ <-3 compared to those with WAZ ≥-3 had lower recovery rates (28.3% vs. 48.7%), higher risk of death (1.8% vs. 0.7%), and higher risk of transfer to inpatient care (6.2% vs. 3.8%). Growth trajectories showed that children with WAZ <-3 had markedly lower anthropometry at the start and end of care, however, their patterns of anthropometric gains were very similar to those with WAZ ≥-3. If moderately wasted children with WAZ <-3 were treated in therapeutic programmes alongside severely wasted children, we estimate caseloads would increase by 32%. Our findings suggest that wasted children with WAZ <-3 are an especially vulnerable group and those with moderate wasting and WAZ <-3 likely require a higher intensity of nutritional support than is currently recommended. Longer or improved treatment may be necessary, and the timeline and definition of recovery likely need review.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heather Stobaugh
- Action Against Hunger USANew York CityNew YorkUSA
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Tanya Khara
- Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN)KidlingtonUK
| | | | - Indi Trehan
- Departments of Paediatrics, Global Health, and EpidemiologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Robert E. Black
- Institute for International ProgrammesJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Patrick Webb
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN)KidlingtonUK
| | - Martha Mwangome
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)Centre for Geographic Medicine Research‐CoastKilifiKenya
| | | | - Paluku Bahwere
- Center for Epidémiology, Biostatistics and Clinical Research (CR2), School of Public HealthUniversité Libre de BruxellesBrusselsBelgium
| | | | - Erin Boyd
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
- USAID/BHAWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - André Briend
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of CopenhagenFrederiksbergDenmark
- Center for Child Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityTampereFinland
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10
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Hossain MM, Abdulla F, Rahman A. Prevalence and determinants of wasting of under-5 children in Bangladesh: Quantile regression approach. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278097. [PMID: 36417416 PMCID: PMC9683614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wasting is perhaps one of the signs of malnutrition that has been linked to the deaths of children suffering from malnutrition. As a result, understanding its correlations and drivers is critical. Using quantile regression analysis, this research aims to contribute to the discussion on under-5 malnutrition by analyzing the predictors of wasting in Bangladesh. METHODS AND MATERIALS The dataset was extracted from the 2017-18 Bangladesh demographic and health survey (BDHS) data. The weight-for-height (WHZ) z-score based anthropometric indicator was used in the study as the target variable. The weighted sample constitutes 8,334 children of under-5 years. However, after cleaning the missing values, the analysis is based on 8,321 children. Sequential quantile regression was used for finding the contributing factors. RESULTS The findings of this study depict that the prevalence of wasting in children is about 8 percent and only approximately one percent of children are severely wasted in Bangladesh. Age, mother's BMI, and parental educational qualification, are all major factors of the WHZ score of a child. The coefficient of the female child increased from 0.1 to 0.2 quantiles before dropping to 0.75 quantile. For a child aged up to three years, the coefficients have a declining tendency up to the 0.5 quantile, then an increasing trend. Children who come from the richest households had 16.3%, 3.6%, and 15.7% higher WHZ scores respectively than children come from the poorest households suggesting that the risk of severe wasting in children under the age of five was lower in children from the wealthiest families than in children from the poorest families. The long-term malnutrition indicator (wasting) will be influenced by the presence of various childhood infections and vaccinations. Furthermore, a family's economic position is a key determinant in influencing a child's WHZ score. CONCLUSIONS It is concluded that socioeconomic characteristics are correlated with the wasting status of a child. Maternal characteristics also played an important role to reduce the burden of malnutrition. Thus, maternal nutritional awareness might reduce the risk of malnutrition in children. Moreover, the findings disclose that to enrich the nutritional status of children along with achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-3 by 2030, a collaborative approach should necessarily be taken by the government of Bangladesh, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the community level in Bangladesh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Moyazzem Hossain
- Department of Statistics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- School of Mathematics, Statistics & Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Faruq Abdulla
- Department of Applied Health and Nutrition, RTM Al Kabir Technical University (RTM-AKTU), Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Azizur Rahman
- School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
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11
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Cliffer IR, Perumal N, Masters WA, Naumova EN, Ouedraogo LN, Garanet F, Rogers BL. Linear Growth Spurts are Preceded by Higher Weight Gain Velocity and Followed by Weight Slowdowns Among Rural Children in Burkina Faso: A Longitudinal Study. J Nutr 2022; 152:1963-1973. [PMID: 35325187 PMCID: PMC9361740 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The temporal relationship between length (linear) and weight (ponderal) growth in early life is important to support optimal nutrition program design. Studies based on measures of attained size have established that wasting often precedes stunting, but such studies do not capture responsiveness of growth to previous compared with current conditions. As a result, the temporality of linear and ponderal growth relationships remain unclear. OBJECTIVES We used growth velocity indicators to assess the temporal bidirectional relationships between linear and ponderal growth in children. METHODS Using monthly anthropometric measurements from 5039 Burkinabè children enrolled at 6 months of age and followed until 28 months from August 2014 to December 2016, we employed multilevel mixed-effects models to investigate concurrent and lagged associations between linear and ponderal growth velocity, controlling for time trends, seasonality, and morbidity. RESULTS Faster ponderal growth is associated with faster concurrent and subsequent linear growth (0.21-0.72 increase in length velocity z-score per unit increase in weight velocity z-score), while faster linear growth is associated with slower future weight gain (0.009-0.02 decrease in weight velocity z-score per unit increase in length velocity z-score), especially among children 9-14 months. Ponderal growth slows around the same time as peaks in morbidity, followed roughly a month later by slower linear growth. CONCLUSIONS Use of velocity measures to assess temporal dependencies between linear and ponderal growth demonstrate that the same growth-limiting conditions likely affect both length and weight velocity, that slow ponderal growth likely limits subsequent linear growth, and that linear growth spurts may not be accompanied by sufficient increases in dietary intake to avoid slowdowns in weight gain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilana R Cliffer
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts
University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nandita Perumal
- Global Health and Population Department, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public
Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William A Masters
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts
University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elena N Naumova
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts
University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laetitia Nikiema Ouedraogo
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Centre National de la
Recherche Scientifique et Technologique, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Franck Garanet
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Centre National de la
Recherche Scientifique et Technologique, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Beatrice L Rogers
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts
University, Boston, MA, USA
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12
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Bwakura‐Dangarembizi M, Dumbura C, Amadi B, Chasekwa B, Ngosa D, Majo FD, Sturgeon JP, Chandwe K, Kapoma C, Bourke CD, Robertson RC, Nathoo KJ, Ntozini R, Norris SA, Kelly P, Prendergast AJ. Recovery of children following hospitalisation for complicated severe acute malnutrition. MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION 2022; 18:e13302. [PMID: 34939325 PMCID: PMC8932709 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nutritional recovery and hospital readmission following inpatient management of complicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are poorly characterised. We aimed to ascertain patterns and factors associated with hospital readmission, nutritional recovery and morbidity, in children discharged from hospital following management of complicated SAM in Zambia and Zimbabwe over 52‐weeks posthospitalization. Multivariable Fine‐Gray subdistribution hazard models, with death and loss to follow‐up as competing risks, were used to identify factors associated with hospital readmission; negative binomial regression to assess time to hospitalisation and ordinal logistic regression to model factors associated with nutritional recovery. A total of 649 children (53% male, median age 18.2 months) were discharged to continue community nutritional rehabilitation. All‐cause hospital readmission was 15.4% (95% CI 12.7, 18.6) over 52 weeks. Independent risk factors for time to readmission were cerebral palsy (adjusted subhazard ratio (aSHR): 2.96, 95% CI 1.56, 5.61) and nonoedematous SAM (aSHR: 1.64, 95%CI 1.03, 2.64). Unit increases in height‐for‐age Z‐score (HAZ) (aSHR: 0.82, 95% CI 0.71, 0.95) and enrolment in Zambia (aSHR: 0.52, 95% CI 0.28, 0.97) were associated with reduced subhazard of time to readmission. Young age, SAM at discharge, nonoedematous SAM and cerebral palsy were associated with poor nutritional recovery throughout follow‐up. Collectively, nonoedematous SAM, ongoing SAM at discharge, cerebral palsy and low HAZ are independent risk factors for readmission and poor nutritional recovery following complicated SAM. Children with these high‐risk features should be prioritised for additional convalescent care to improve long‐term outcomes. One‐in‐six children managed for SAM were readmitted into hospital over the first year after discharge and one‐in‐eight remained undernourished by 52 weeks of follow‐up. Nonoedematous SAM, ongoing SAM at the time of discharge and underlying cerebral palsy were independent risk factors for hospital readmission and poor nutritional recovery. Low HAZ was a risk factor for hospital readmission and poor nutritional recovery. Postdischarge care should focus on children with disability, nonoedematous SAM at initial hospitalisation and have ongoing SAM at the time of discharge. Stunting should be considered in the management of children with SAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mutsa Bwakura‐Dangarembizi
- University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences Harare Zimbabwe
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research Harare Zimbabwe
- University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Cherlynn Dumbura
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research Harare Zimbabwe
| | - Beatrice Amadi
- Tropical Gastroenterology and Nutrition Group, University of Zambia Lusaka Zambia
| | - Bernard Chasekwa
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research Harare Zimbabwe
| | - Deophine Ngosa
- Tropical Gastroenterology and Nutrition Group, University of Zambia Lusaka Zambia
| | - Florence D. Majo
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research Harare Zimbabwe
| | - Jonathan P. Sturgeon
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research Harare Zimbabwe
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Kanta Chandwe
- Tropical Gastroenterology and Nutrition Group, University of Zambia Lusaka Zambia
| | - Chanda Kapoma
- Tropical Gastroenterology and Nutrition Group, University of Zambia Lusaka Zambia
| | - Claire D. Bourke
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research Harare Zimbabwe
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Ruairi C. Robertson
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research Harare Zimbabwe
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Kusum J. Nathoo
- University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences Harare Zimbabwe
| | - Robert Ntozini
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research Harare Zimbabwe
| | | | - Paul Kelly
- Tropical Gastroenterology and Nutrition Group, University of Zambia Lusaka Zambia
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Andrew J. Prendergast
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research Harare Zimbabwe
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London London UK
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13
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Thurstans S, Opondo C, Seal A, Wells JC, Khara T, Dolan C, Briend A, Myatt M, Garenne M, Mertens A, Sear R, Kerac M. Understanding Sex Differences in Childhood Undernutrition: A Narrative Review. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14050948. [PMID: 35267923 PMCID: PMC8912557 DOI: 10.3390/nu14050948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Complementing a recent systematic review and meta-analysis which showed that boys are more likely to be wasted, stunted, and underweight than girls, we conducted a narrative review to explore which early life mechanisms might underlie these sex differences. We addressed different themes, including maternal and newborn characteristics, immunology and endocrinology, evolutionary biology, care practices, and anthropometric indices to explore potential sources of sex differences in child undernutrition. Our review found that the evidence on why sex differences occur is limited but that a complex interaction of social, environmental, and genetic factors likely underlies these differences throughout the life cycle. Despite their bigger size at birth and during infancy, in conditions of food deprivation, boys experience more undernutrition from as early as the foetal period. Differences appear to be more pronounced in more severe presentations of undernutrition and in more socioeconomically deprived contexts. Boys are more vulnerable to infectious disease, and differing immune and endocrine systems appear to explain some of this disadvantage. Limited evidence also suggests that different sociological factors and care practices might exert influence and have the potential to exacerbate or reverse observed differences. Further research is needed to better understand sex differences in undernutrition and the implications of these for child outcomes and prevention and treatment programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Thurstans
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK; (R.S.); (M.K.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Charles Opondo
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK;
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Andrew Seal
- UCL Institute for Global Health, London WC1E 6BT, UK;
| | - Jonathan C. Wells
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK;
| | - Tanya Khara
- Emergency Nutrition Network, Oxford OX5 2DN, UK; (T.K.); (C.D.)
| | - Carmel Dolan
- Emergency Nutrition Network, Oxford OX5 2DN, UK; (T.K.); (C.D.)
| | - André Briend
- Center for Child Health Research, School of Medicine, Tampere University, 33520 Tampere, Finland;
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mark Myatt
- Brixton Health, Llwyngwril, Gwynedd LL37 2JD, Wales, UK;
| | - Michel Garenne
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMI Résiliences, 93140 Bondy, France;
- Institut Pasteur, Epidémiologie des Maladies Emergentes, 75015 Paris, France
- Senior Fellow, FERDI, Université d’Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
| | - Andrew Mertens
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA;
| | - Rebecca Sear
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK; (R.S.); (M.K.)
| | - Marko Kerac
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK; (R.S.); (M.K.)
- Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive & Child Health Centre (MARCH), London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
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14
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Thurstans S, Sessions N, Dolan C, Sadler K, Cichon B, Isanaka S, Roberfroid D, Stobaugh H, Webb P, Khara T. The relationship between wasting and stunting in young children: A systematic review. MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION 2022; 18:e13246. [PMID: 34486229 PMCID: PMC8710094 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In 2014, the Emergency Nutrition Network published a report on the relationship between wasting and stunting. We aim to review evidence generated since that review to better understand the implications for improving child nutrition, health and survival. We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines, registered with PROSPERO. We identified search terms that describe wasting and stunting and the relationship between the two. We included studies related to children under five from low- and middle-income countries that assessed both ponderal growth/wasting and linear growth/stunting and the association between the two. We included 45 studies. The review found the peak incidence of both wasting and stunting is between birth and 3 months. There is a strong association between the two conditions whereby episodes of wasting contribute to stunting and, to a lesser extent, stunting leads to wasting. Children with multiple anthropometric deficits, including concurrent stunting and wasting, have the highest risk of near-term mortality when compared with children with any one deficit alone. Furthermore, evidence suggests that the use of mid-upper-arm circumference combined with weight-for-age Z score might effectively identify children at most risk of near-term mortality. Wasting and stunting, driven by common factors, frequently occur in the same child, either simultaneously or at different moments through their life course. Evidence of a process of accumulation of nutritional deficits and increased risk of mortality over a child's life demonstrates the pressing need for integrated policy, financing and programmatic approaches to the prevention and treatment of child malnutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Thurstans
- Department of Population HealthLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUnited KingdomUK
- Emergency Nutrition NetworkOxfordUK
| | | | | | | | | | - Sheila Isanaka
- Department of EpidemiologyHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of ResearchEpicentreParisFrance
| | - Dominique Roberfroid
- Faculty of MedicineUniversity of NamurNamurBelgium
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and HealthGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - Heather Stobaugh
- Action Against Hunger USANew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and PolicyTufts UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Patrick Webb
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and PolicyTufts UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
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15
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Mutunga M, Rutishauser-Perera A, Laillou A, Prak S, Berger J, Wieringa FT, Bahwere P. The relationship between wasting and stunting in Cambodian children: Secondary analysis of longitudinal data of children below 24 months of age followed up until the age of 59 months. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259765. [PMID: 34794170 PMCID: PMC8601787 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The interrelationship between wasting and stunting has been poorly investigated. We assessed the association between two indicators of linear growth, height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) change and occurrence of accelerated linear growth, and selected indicators of wasting and wasting reversal in 5,172 Cambodian children aged less than 24 months at enrolment in the 'MyHealth' study. The specific objectives were to evaluate the relationship between temporal changes in wasting and 1) change in HAZ and 2) episodes of accelerated linear growth. At enrolment, the stunting and wasting prevalence were 22.2 (21.0;23.3) % and 9.1 (8.1;10.1) %, respectively, and reached 41.4 (39.3;43.6) %, and 12.4 (11.5;13.3) % respectively, two years later. Between 14-19% of stunted children were also wasted throughout the whole study period. For each centimetre increase in Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) from the previous assessment, the HAZ increased by 0.162 (0.150; 0.174) Z-score. We also observed a delayed positive association between the weight for height Z score (WHZ) unit increase and HAZ change of +0.10 to +0.22 units consistent with a positive relationship between linear growth and an increase in WHZ occurring with a lag of approximately three months. A similar positive correlation was observed for the occurrence of an episode of accelerated linear growth. These results show that interventions to prevent and treat wasting can contribute to stunting reduction and call for integrated wasting and stunting programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mueni Mutunga
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) East Asia Pacific Regional Office, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Arnaud Laillou
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Sophonneary Prak
- National Nutrition Program, Maternal and Child Health Center, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Jacques Berger
- Institut de Recherche pour le De´veloppement, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Paluku Bahwere
- Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie, Biostatistique et Recherche Clinique, Ecole de santé publique, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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16
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Kamugisha JGK, Lanyero B, Nabukeera-Barungi N, Ritz C, Mølgaard C, Michaelsen KF, Briend A, Mupere E, Friis H, Grenov B. Weight-for-Height Z-score Gain during Inpatient Treatment and Subsequent Linear Growth during Outpatient Treatment of Young Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition: A Prospective Study from Uganda. Curr Dev Nutr 2021; 5:nzab118. [PMID: 34712895 PMCID: PMC8546154 DOI: 10.1093/cdn/nzab118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Linear catch-up growth after treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is low, and little is known about the association between ponderal and subsequent linear growth. OBJECTIVE The study assessed the association of weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) gain with subsequent linear growth during SAM treatment and examined its modifiers. METHODS This was a prospective study, nested in a trial (ISRCTN16454889), among 6-59-mo-old children treated for SAM in Uganda. Weight, total length (TL), and knee-heel length (KHL) were measured at admission, weekly during inpatient therapeutic care (ITC), at discharge, and fortnightly during outpatient therapeutic care (OTC) for 8 wk. Linear regression was used to assess the association between WHZ gain during ITC and linear growth during OTC. RESULTS Of 400 children, 327 were discharged to OTC and 290 were followed up for 8 wk. Mean WHZ gains were 0.45 in ITC and 1.24 in OTC, whereas mean height-for-age z-score (HAZ) declined by 0.41 during ITC and increased by 0.14 during OTC. WHZ gain during ITC was positively associated with HAZ, TL, and KHL gains during OTC [regression coefficients (β) (95% CI): 0.12 (0.09, 0.15) z-score; 3.1 (2.4, 3.8) mm and 0.5 (0.1, 0.7) mm, respectively]. The regression coefficients were highest for the middle tertile of WHZ gain with respect to HAZ and TL. Admission diarrhea and low plasma citrulline reduced the association between WHZ gain during ITC and HAZ and TL gain during OTC (P < 0.001). In contrast, pneumonia (P = 0.051) and elevated plasma C-reactive protein (P < 0.001) increased the association with TL gain, but reduced the association with KHL gain (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Among children admitted with SAM, considerable WHZ gain during ITC was followed by very modest linear catch-up growth during OTC, with no indication of a WHZ gain threshold, above which linear growth was higher. To optimize linear growth in these children, early treatment of infections and conditions affecting the gut may be necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolly G K Kamugisha
- Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Betty Lanyero
- World Health Organization, Ethiopia Country Office, UNECA Compound, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Christian Ritz
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Christian Mølgaard
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Kim F Michaelsen
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - André Briend
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
- Center for Child Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ezekiel Mupere
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Henrik Friis
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Benedikte Grenov
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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17
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Kohlmann K, Sudfeld CR, Garba S, Guindo O, Grais RF, Isanaka S. Exploring the relationships between wasting and stunting among a cohort of children under two years of age in Niger. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1713. [PMID: 34548050 PMCID: PMC8454021 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11689-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wasting and stunting, physical growth manifestations of child undernutrition, have historically been considered separately with distinct interventions at the program, policy, and financing levels despite similar risk factors, overlapping burdens and multiplicative risk of death when the conditions are concurrent. The aim of this study was to elucidate shared risk factors and the temporal relationship between wasting and stunting among children under 2 years of age in rural Niger. METHODS From August 2014 to December 2019, anthropometric data were collected every 4 weeks from 6 to 8 weeks to 24 months of age for 6567 children comprising 139,529 visits in Madarounfa, Niger. Children were defined as wasted if they had a weight-for-length Z-score < - 2 and stunted if they had a length-for-age Z-score < - 2 using the 2006 World Health Organization child growth standards. Parental, child, and socioeconomic risk factors for wasting and stunting at 6 and 24 months of age and the relationship between episodes of wasting, stunting and concurrent wasting-stunting were assessed using general estimating equations. RESULTS Half of children (50%) were female, and 8.3% were born low birthweight (< 2500 g). Overall, at 24 months of age, 14% of children were wasted, 80% were stunted and 12% were concurrently wasted-stunted. We found that maternal short stature, male sex, and low birthweight were risk factors for wasting and stunting at 6 and 24 months, whereas higher maternal body mass index and household wealth were protective factors. Wasting at 6 and 24 months was predicted by a prior episodes of wasting, stunting, and concurrent wasting-stunting. Stunting at 6 and 24 months was similarly predicted by prior episodes of stunting and concurrent wasting-stunting at any prior age but only by prior episodes of wasting after 6 months of age. CONCLUSIONS These data support a complex and dynamic bi-directional relationship between wasting and stunting in young children in rural Niger and an important burden of concurrent wasting-stunting in this setting. Further research to better understand the inter-relationships and mechanisms between these two conditions is needed in order to develop and target interventions to promote child growth. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02145000 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Kohlmann
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Christopher R Sudfeld
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sheila Isanaka
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA.
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA.
- Epicentre, 14-34 Avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019, Paris, France.
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Garba S, Salou H, Nackers F, Ayouba A, Escruela M, Guindo O, Rocaspana M, Grais RF, Isanaka S. A feasibility study using mid-upper arm circumference as the sole anthropometric criterion for admission and discharge in the outpatient treatment for severe acute malnutrition. BMC Nutr 2021; 7:47. [PMID: 34380573 PMCID: PMC8359601 DOI: 10.1186/s40795-021-00448-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The World Health Organization recommends the use of a weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) and/or mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) as anthropometric criteria for the admission and discharge of young children for the community-based management of severe acute malnutrition. However, using MUAC as a single anthropometric criterion for admission and discharge in therapeutic nutritional programs may offer operational advantages to simplify admission processes at therapeutic nutritional centers and improve program coverage. METHODS This pragmatic, non-randomized, intervention study compared a standard outpatient nutritional program (n = 824) for the treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition using WHZ < - 3 and/or MUAC< 115 mm and/or bipedal edema for admission and discharge to a program (n = 1019) using MUAC as the sole anthropometric criterion for admission (MUAC< 120 mm) and discharge (MUAC ≥125 mm at two consecutive visits) in the Tahoua Region of Niger. RESULTS Compared to the standard program, the MUAC-only program discharged more children as recovered (70.1% vs. 51.6%; aOR 2.31, 95%CI 1.79-2.98) and fewer children as non-respondent or defaulters, based on respective program definitions. The risk of non-response was high in both programs. Three months post-discharge, children who were discharged after recovery in the MUAC-only program had lower WHZ and MUAC measures. Sixty-three children ineligible for the MUAC-only program but eligible for a standard program (MUAC ≥120 mm and WHZ < -3) were followed for twelve weeks and the anthropometric status of 69.8% of these children did not deteriorate (i.e. MUAC ≥120 mm) despite not immediately receiving treatment in the MUAC-only program. CONCLUSIONS The results from this study share the first operational experience of using MUAC as sole anthropometric criterion for admission and discharge in Niger and overall support the consideration for MUAC-only programming: the MUAC-only model of care was associated with a higher recovery and a lower defaulter rate than the standard program with very few children found to be excluded from treatment with an admission criterion of MUAC < 120 mm. Further consideration of the appropriate MUAC-based discharge criterion as it relates to an increased risk of non-response and adverse post-discharge outcomes would be prudent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fabienne Nackers
- Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Center Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Montse Escruela
- Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Center Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Mercé Rocaspana
- Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Center Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Sheila Isanaka
- Epicentre, 14-34 avenue Jean Juarès, 75019, Paris, France.
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Imam A, Hassan-Hanga F, Sallahdeen A, Farouk ZL. A cross-sectional study of prevalence and risk factors for stunting among under-fives attending acute malnutrition treatment programmes in north-western Nigeria: Should these programmes be adapted to also manage stunting? Int Health 2021; 13:262-271. [PMID: 32780808 PMCID: PMC8079315 DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihaa043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Stunting and severe wasting can co-occur in under-fives, predisposing them to increased risks for morbidity and mortality. The Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programme, which provides outpatient malnutrition care for severely wasted children, has been successful at managing severe wasting, but there are limited data on stunting among entrants into these programmes. Methods We performed secondary analysis of data collected from attendees of two CMAM centres in north-western Nigeria. Using WHO reference standards, we determined the prevalence of concurrent stunting (height/length-for-age <-2 SD) among severely wasted children (weight-for-height z-scores <-3 SD). We identified individual and household-level risk factors for concurrent stunting using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results Our cohort comprised 472 severely wasted children and the majority (82.8%) were stunted. Age groups of 12–23 mo (adjusted OR [AOR]=2.38, 95% CI 1.26 to 4.48) and 24–35 mo (AOR=7.81, 95% CI 1.99 to 30.67), male gender (AOR=2.51, 95% CI 1.43 to 4.39) and attending the rural malnutrition clinic (AOR=3.08, 95% CI 1.64 to 5.79) were associated with a significantly increased probability of stunting. Conclusions Stunting prevalence is high among severely wasted children attending CMAM programmes in north-western Nigeria. Policymakers need to adapt these treatment programmes to also cater for stunting, taking into account practical programmatic realities such as available expertise and scarce resource allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulazeez Imam
- Department of Vaccines and Immunity, Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Atlantic Boulevard, P.O. Box 452, Fajara, Gambia
| | - Fatimah Hassan-Hanga
- Department of Paediatrics, Bayero University Kano, Department of Paediatrics, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, P.M.B 3452, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Azeezat Sallahdeen
- Department of Vaccines and Immunity, Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Atlantic Boulevard, P.O. Box 452, Fajara, Gambia
| | - Zubaida L Farouk
- Department of Paediatrics, Bayero University Kano, Department of Paediatrics, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, P.M.B 3452, Kano, Nigeria
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Mutunga M, Frison S, Rava M, Bahwere P. The Forgotten Agenda of Wasting in Southeast Asia: Burden, Determinants and Overlap with Stunting: A Review of Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Demographic and Health Surveys in Six Countries. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12020559. [PMID: 32093376 PMCID: PMC7071426 DOI: 10.3390/nu12020559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood wasting is among the most prevalent forms of undernutrition globally. The Southeast Asia region is home to many wasted children, but wasting is not recognized as a public health problem and its epidemiology is yet to be fully examined. This analysis aimed to determine the burden of wasting, its predictors, and the level of wasting and stunting concurrence. Datasets from Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in six countries in the region were analyzed. The pooled weighted prevalence for wasting and concurrent wasting and stunting among children 0–59 months in the six countries was 8.9%, 95% CI (8.0–9.9) and 1.6%, 95% CI (1.5–1.8), respectively. This prevalence is approximately 12-fold higher than the 0.7% prevalence of high-income countries; and translated into an absolute number of 1,088,747 children affected by wasting and 272,563 concurrent wasting and stunting. Wasting prevalence was 50 percent higher in the 0–23-month age group. Predictors for wasting included source of drinking water, wealth index, urban residence, child’s age and history of illness and mother’s body mass index. In conclusion, our analysis showed that wasting is a serious public health problem in the region that should be addressed urgently using both preventive and curative approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mueni Mutunga
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) East Asia Pacific Regional Office, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
- Correspondence:
| | - Severine Frison
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London WC1E 7HT, UK;
| | - Matteo Rava
- Bergen Center for Ethics and Priority Setting (BCEPS), University of Bergen, 5009 Bergen, Norway;
| | - Paluku Bahwere
- Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie, Biostatistique et Recherche Clinique, Ecole de santé publique, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1080 Brussels, Belgium;
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Frison S, Angood C, Khara T, Bahwere P, Black RE, Briend A, Connell N, Fenn B, Isanaka S, James P, Kerac M, Mayberry A, Myatt M, Dolan C. Prevention of child wasting: Results of a Child Health & Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) prioritisation exercise. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228151. [PMID: 32049994 PMCID: PMC7015423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An estimated 49.5 million children under five years of age are wasted. There is a lack of robust studies on effective interventions to prevent wasting. The aim of this study was to identify and prioritise the main outstanding research questions in relation to wasting prevention to inform future research agendas. METHOD A research prioritisation exercise was conducted following the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method. Identified research gaps were compiled from multiple sources, categorised into themes and streamlined into forty research questions by an expert group. A survey was then widely circulated to assess research questions according to four criteria. An overall research priority score was calculated to rank questions. FINDINGS The prioritised questions have a strong focus on interventions. The importance of the early stages of life in determining later experiences of wasting was highlighted. Other important themes included the identification of at-risk infants and young children early in the progression of wasting and the roles of existing interventions and the health system in prevention. DISCUSSION These results indicate consensus to support more research on the pathways to wasting encompassing the in-utero environment, on the early period of infancy and on the process of wasting and its early identification. They also reinforce how little is known about impactful interventions for the prevention of wasting. CONCLUSION This exercise provides a five-year investment case for research that could most effectively improve on-the-ground programmes to prevent child wasting and inform supportive policy change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severine Frison
- Emergency Nutrition Network, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Infectious Disease and Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Chloe Angood
- Emergency Nutrition Network, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tanya Khara
- Emergency Nutrition Network, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Robert E. Black
- Institute for International Programs, Bloomsbury School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States of America
| | - André Briend
- Center for Child Health Research, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Nicki Connell
- Eleanor Crook Foundation, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Bridget Fenn
- Emergency Nutrition Network, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sheila Isanaka
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, United States of America
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, United States of America
- Department of Research, Epicentre, Paris, France
| | - Philip James
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marko Kerac
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Mayberry
- No Wasted Lives and Action Against Hunger UK, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Myatt
- Brixton Health, Llwyngwril Gwynedd, United Kingdom
| | - Carmel Dolan
- Emergency Nutrition Network, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Raiten DJ, Bremer AA. Exploring the Nutritional Ecology of Stunting: New Approaches to an Old Problem. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12020371. [PMID: 32023835 PMCID: PMC7071191 DOI: 10.3390/nu12020371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a declining prevalence, stunting remains an elusive target for the global health community. The perception is that stunting represents chronic undernutrition (i.e., due to inadequate nutrient intake associated with food insecurity, low-quality diet, and suboptimal infant feeding practices in the first two years of life). However, other causes include maternal–fetal interactions leading to intrauterine growth retardation, poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation, and maternal and pediatric infections. Moreover, physical, economic, demographic, and social environments are major contributors to both food insecurity and conditions that limit linear growth. Overall, factors representing both the internal and external “nutritional ecologies” need to be considered in efforts to reduce stunting rates. Nutritional assessment requires better understanding of the mechanism and role of nutrition in growth, clear expectations about the sensitivity and specificity of the tools used, and inclusion of bio-indicators reflecting the extent and nature of the functional effect of poor nutrition and environmental factors contributing to human physical growth. We provide a perspective on current knowledge about: (i) the biology and contribution of nutrition to stunting/poor growth; (ii) our current nutritional assessment toolkit; (iii) the implications of current assessment approaches for clinical care and public interventions; and (iv) future directions for addressing these challenges in a changing global health environment.
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Isanaka S, Hitchings MDT, Berthé F, Briend A, Grais RF. Linear growth faltering and the role of weight attainment: Prospective analysis of young children recovering from severe wasting in Niger. MATERNAL AND CHILD NUTRITION 2019; 15:e12817. [PMID: 30903806 PMCID: PMC6849732 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Efforts to reduce the impact of stunting have been largely independent of interventions to reduce the impact of wasting, despite the observation that the conditions can coexist in the same child and increase risk of death. To optimize the management of malnourished children—who can be wasted, stunted, or both—the relationship between stunting and wasting should be elaborated. We aimed to describe the relationship between concurrent weight and height gain during and after rehabilitation from severe wasting. We conducted a secondary analysis of a randomized trial for the outpatient treatment of severe wasting, including 1,542 children who recovered and were followed for 12 weeks. We described the overlap of stunting and severe wasting and the change in stunting over time. We showed the relationship between concurrent weight and height gain using adjusted generalized estimating equations and calculated the mean rate of change in weight‐for‐height z score (WHZ) and height‐for‐age z score (HAZ) during and after rehabilitation. At baseline, 79% (n = 1,223/1,542) and 49% (n = 757/1,542) of children were stunted and severely stunted, respectively. Prevalence increased over time among children <24 months. During rehabilitation when weight was not yet fully recovered, we found rapid WHZ gain but limited HAZ gain. Following successful rehabilitation, WHZ gain slowed. The rate of HAZ gain was negative after rehabilitation but increased relative to the period during treatment. The potential relationship between weight and height gain calls for increased coverage of wasting treatment to not only prevent child mortality but also reduce linear growth faltering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Isanaka
- Departments of Nutrition and Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States.,Department of Research, Epicentre, Paris, France
| | - Matt D T Hitchings
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | | | - André Briend
- Center for Child Health Research, University of Tampere School of Medicine, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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