Nutritional Advice El Mondo
Objectives:
Micronutrient deficiencies continue to be widespread among children under-five in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), despite the fact that several effective strategies now exist to prevent them. This kind of malnutrition can have several immediate and long-term consequences, including stunted growth, a higher risk of acquiring infections and poor development outcomes, all of which may lead to a child not achieving his or her full potential.
The goal of this review article is, what is the available evidence on the strategies used to prevent micronutrient malnutrition among children under-five in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including single and multiple micronutrient (MMN) supplementation, lipid-based nutrient supplementation (LNS), targeted and large-scale fortification and point-of-use-fortification with micronutrient powders (MNPs)?
Study design:
This review article included 197 unique studies.
Results and conclusions:
The investigators found the risk of anemia was significantly reduced with iron alone, iron-folic acid, multiple micronutrient supplementation, point-of-use-fortification with micronutrient powders, targeted fortification and large-scale fortification.
The investigators found stunting and underweight, however, were significantly improved only among children who were provided with lipid-based nutrient supplementation, though multiple micronutrient supplementation also slightly increased length-for-age z-scores.
The investigators found vitamin A supplementation significantly reduced all-cause mortality, while zinc supplementation decreased the incidence of diarrhea.
The investigators found, importantly, many effects of lipid-based nutrient supplementation and point-of-use-fortification with micronutrient powders held when pooling data from effectiveness studies.
The investigators concluded this evidence supports the importance of micronutrient supplementation for reducing the burden of micronutrient malnutrition in children under-five in low- and middle-income countries. Population and context should be considered when selecting one or more appropriate interventions for programming.
Original title:
Micronutrient Supplementation and Fortification Interventions on Health and Development Outcomes among Children Under-Five in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by Tam E, Keats EC, […], Bhutta AZA.
Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31973225
Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on food fortification/malnutrition right here.