Global Burden of Maternal and Child Undernutrition and Micronutrient Deficiencies

Abstract

Maternal and child undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies affect approximately half of the world’s population. These conditions include intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), low birth weight, protein-energy malnutrition, chronic energy deficit of women, and micronutrient deficiencies. Although the rates of stunting or chronic protein-energy malnutrition are increasing in Africa, the absolute numbers of stunted children are much higher in Asia. The four common micronutrient deficiencies include those of iron, iodine, vitamin A, and zinc. All these conditions are responsible directly or indirectly for more than 50% of all under-5 deaths globally. According to more recent estimates, IUGR, stunting and severe wasting are responsible for one third of under-5 mortality. About 12% of deaths among under-5 children are attributed to the deficiency of the four common micronutrients. Despite tremendous progress in different disciplines and unprecedented improvement with many health indicators, persistently high undernutrition rates are a shame to the society. Human development is not possible without taking care to control undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Poverty, food insecurity, ignorance, lack of appropriate infant and young child feeding practices, heavy burden of infectious illnesses, and poor hygiene and sanitation are factors responsible for the high levels of maternal and child undernutrition in developing countries. These factors can be controlled or removed by scaling up direct nutrition interventions and eliminating the root conditions including female illiteracy, lack of livelihoods, lack of women’s empowerment, and poor hygiene and sanitation.

Factores asociados con la anemia en niños menores de tres años en Perú: análisis de la Encuesta Demográfica y de Salud Familiar, 2007-2013

“…El primero estaría ligado a los conocimientos y las habilidades adquiridas para la crianza y el cuidado de los hijos, mientras que el segundo estaría vinculado con el empoderamiento de la mujer como resultado del nivel de educación alcanzado. Ambos mecanismos influirían en las decisiones de la mujer sobre los recursos destinados al cuidado de sus niños (salud, higiene, alimentación) y de ella misma, durante y después del embarazo (11,23), y podrían explicar la presencia simultánea de anemia en el niño y en la madre (7,24).…”

Childhood Deaths with a Co-Morbidity of Diarrhea and Severe Malnutrition: A Brief Insight in an Urban Critical Care Ward in Dhaka, Bangladesh

“…These observations are not surprising at all, however, in spite of decreasing trend of worldwide malnutrition, for the last few decades severe malnutrition remained as one of the greatest contributors of deaths in south Asia, including Bangladesh due to inadequate social and political commitment 1 . Thus, these simple clinical predicting factors for deaths in diarrheal children having severe malnutrition is critically important for the clinicians as well as policy makers to take adequate preventive as well as curative measures.…”

“…Severe Malnutrition is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among children in developing countries including Bangladesh 1,2 . Among the global deaths in children under five years of age, about 48 % occurred in different forms of malnutrition (19% were due to underweight, 14.5% to stunting, and 14.6% to wasting) 3 .…”

“…Among the global deaths in children under five years of age, about 48 % occurred in different forms of malnutrition (19% were due to underweight, 14.5% to stunting, and 14.6% to wasting) 3 . Although the prevalence rates of childhood malnutrition are slowly regressing in Asia, the highest prevalence can still be found in South Asia 1 . Malnutrition has been responsible, directly or indirectly, for 54% of the global annual deaths among children under five 4 .…”

“…Malnutrition has been responsible, directly or indirectly, for 54% of the global annual deaths among children under five 4 . The immediate causes of malnutrition and child death are mutually reinforcing conditions of inadequate dietary intake and infectious disease; the underlying causes are household food insecurity, inadequate health service and absence of healthy environment 1 . According to national guidelines, 2008; the death rate among children hospitalized for severe acute malnutrition in Bangladesh was as high as 15 percent 5 .…”