Child malnutrition study finds that early prevention is best
Preventing infants and young children from becoming undernourished is much more effective than treating children who are already malnourished, according to a new study published in the 16 February issue of leading medical journal The Lancet.
The study in Haiti found that three indicators of child malnutrition—stunting, being underweight and wasting—were between four and six percentage points lower among poor communities participating in preventative nutrition programmes rather than recuperative ones.
“While these numbers may not seem dramatic, the differences between the groups are substantial, especially considering the challenges of improving childhood nutrition in poor communities," said Marie Ruel, lead author of The Lancet article and director of the Food Consumption and Nutrition Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Crucial first two years
The study in Haiti was conducted by IFPRI and Cornell University in conjunction with World Vision Haiti and the US Agency for International Development.
“Malnutrition must be addressed in the first two years of life, the crucial period for a child’s physical and cognitive development,” added Ruel.
“If nutrition programmes wait until children have already become malnourished, their benefits are significantly diminished.”
New approach
Historically most child nutrition programmes have targeted only underweight children. The study in Haiti compared the impact of two World Vision programmes. The first provided nine months of food assistance to children aged six months to five years of age once they became underweight.
The second targeted all children aged 6–24 months, regardless of their weight.
“This study completely changed our approach to fighting childhood malnutrition,” said Lesley Michaud, maternal and child health coordinator for World Vision Haiti.
“Based on the research findings, World Vision and other NGOs now target their food assistance and maternal and child health and nutrition programmes to all children under two years of age in poor communities in Haiti.”
Global significance
The Haiti study is part of an ongoing focus by The Lancet on maternal and child under-nutrition and underscores the importance of acting early to reduce malnutrition.
“The findings from Haiti are of global significance because all children, no matter where they live, have the same nutritional needs in their first two years of life for proper growth and development,” explained Purnima Menon, co-author of The Lancet article and IFPRI research fellow, based in New Delhi, India.
“The study is particularly relevant for South Asia, which has both the highest rates of child malnutrition in the world and is home to the greatest number of undernourished children.”
Lifetime benefits
Another IFPRI-led study recently published in The Lancet found that improving the nutrition of very young children leads to increased productivity in adulthood. While that study highlights the long-term returns from investing in early childhood nutrition, the study in Haiti shows how to best go about it.
“Common sense tells us that preventing malnutrition is better than treating it, especially because children can suffer irreparable harm if undernourished during the first two years of life,” said Ruel.
“The Haiti study provides concrete evidence that preventive programmes can be highly successful on the ground with benefits that can last a lifetime.”
For further details and links, visit WVI's web site:
www.wvi.org
