Infant Malnutrition Research Articles

Development of Nutrient-Rich Complementary Food from Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Crayfish for Combating Infant Malnutrition in Low-income Communities

This study aimed to enhance traditional cereal-based complementary foods in Nigeria by developing and evaluating a nutrient-dense blend of sweet potato, carrot, and crayfish. The objective was to address protein-energy malnutrition in low-resource settings by improving the nutritional profile of local complementary foods. Samples were analyzed in triplicate for proximate composition and selected micronutrients using AOAC standard techniques. Sensory evaluation was conducted using a 5-point hedonic scale with a panel of ten nursing mothers from the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Lead City University. Results showed that the blend contained 14.74±0.32% crude protein, 72.19±0.51% carbohydrates, and 0.97±0.02% fat. Micronutrient analysis revealed high levels of vitamin C (19.06±0.70 mg/100ml) and phosphorus (497.33±3.37 mg/100ml). Sensory evaluation indicated that the product was well-accepted, with mean scores of 4.2±0.6 for taste (slightly sweet), 4.0±0.7 for color (light brown), and 3.8±0.8 for flavor (mildly fishy). This novel blend significantly improves upon traditional cereal-based complementary foods by providing a more balanced nutrient profile that meets WHO/FAO recommendations. It offers a practical, locally-sourced solution to enhance infant nutrition in low-resource settings, potentially reducing the prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition. Further studies on its long-term effects on child growth and development are recommended.

Metabolic and histopathological impact of local resource food consumption on blood markers in rats previously subjected to moderate acute malnutrition

Malnutrition is caused by dietary and nutritional imbalances that can have an impact on blood parameters and vital organs. The use of local agricultural resources for adapted diets appears to be an effective solution to post-weaning infant malnutrition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of four newborn diets made from local agricultural resources in improving biochemical, hematological, and histological parameters in rats that had previously experienced mild acute malnutrition. A total of 42 juvenile male rats, with an average age of 80 ±5 days and an average weight of 103.46 ± 5.10 g, were divided into six groups. Each group consisted of seven rats, with two control groups (LTC and LSA) and four experimental groups (LAR1A, LAR1B, LAR2A, and LAR2B). The experiment had three distinct phases: an initial adaptation period lasting 5 days, followed by a phase of inducing malnutrition lasting 19 days, and finally a phase of nutritional rehabilitation lasting 14 days. At the conclusion of the malnutrition induction and nutritional rehabilitation phases, blood samples were collected and used to evaluate biochemical and haematological markers. Kidneys and liver were removed for histological analysis.The findings revealed that the period of inducing malnutrition had a detrimental impact on several parameters, such as urea, triglyceride, total protein, C-reactive protein, albumin, ALAT, ASAT, WBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and MCV. Nevertheless, the ingestion of LAR diet derived from indigenous ingredients successfully returned all of these blood markers to the required levels for rats. Furthermore, histological examinations demonstrated that there were no kidney or liver abnormalities at the end of the trial.The LAR diets have rehabilitative effects on the biochemical and haematological parameters of rats. This suggests that these diets can be used therapeutically to treat moderate acute malnutrition and meet the nutritional needs of children aged 6 to 36 months.

Clinical Profile and Risk Factors for Severe Acute Malnutrition in Infants Under 6 Months of Age Admitted to Tertiary Care Centre

Clinical Profile and Risk Factors for Severe Acute Malnutrition in Infants Under 6 Months of Age Admitted to Tertiary Care Centre

Exploring the far-reaching consequences of malnutrition during pregnancy and beyond: A comprehensive review

In India, maternal and infant malnutrition continues to be a significant contributor to health problems. Fetal malnutrition can result from an inadequate nutrient supply, necessary nutrition services, and ideal practices before, during, and following pregnancy. This comprehensive review delves into the complex relationships among hormone changes, microbial ecosystems, and nutrition, and how these relationships affect the health of mothers and their offspring. The review highlights how important it is to maintain good nutrition during pregnancy and to comprehend the dietary modifications that pregnant people make on their own to create interventions that work. Important minerals like calcium, iron, folic acid, iodine, and vitamin D are covered. Acknowledging the mutualistic association between the eating habits of mothers and the diverse microbiomes found in their gut, vagina, and oral channels, the review explores the influence on hormone levels and their consequences during gestation. Diverse fetal developmental needs are depicted by the table that outlines food requirements for each of the three trimesters. The detrimental effects of poor prenatal nutrition on a mother's health and its repercussions for neonates are examined. The effects of malnutrition after delivery, including difficulties throughout pregnancy, healing periods, and general effects on mental and physical health, are well studied. The study, which adopts a worldwide viewpoint, finds that societal norms, information gaps, and poverty are the main causes of malnutrition. Prevention techniques are discussed, emphasizing the significance of taking a comprehensive approach to addressing this vital issue in both the Indian and global contexts.

Early Marriage Age Trends in Magetan Regency, Indonesia: A Review of 2021-2023

Background: Early marriage is a significant women's reproductive health issue, especially because of its association with the risk of abortion, stunting, malnutrition and infection in infants. The aim of the study was to describe the age trend of early marriage in Magetan Regency from 2021 to 2023. Methods: This type of research is descriptive quantitative with the population of all couples who married in Magetan Regency during the period. The sample of this study included all married individuals with a total of 12,772 people. The main variable was age at marriage. Data were collected through a documentation study of age of marriage reports recorded at the PPKBPP and PA Office of Magetan Regency using a data recapitulation table. Data analysis was conducted with descriptive statistics, in the form of frequency distribution and percentage. Results: The results showed an increasing trend of early marriage in most sub-districts, with a predicted prevalence that tends to increase until the end of 2024. Between 2021 and 2023, the trend of early marriage age in Magetan Regency showed a varied pattern, with some years increasing and others decreasing. The main factors influencing this trend include economic factors, education, and local policies. The impacts of early marriage include challenges in health and education, which require continued attention in mitigation and response efforts. Conclusion: The conclusion of this study is that there is a need for serious attention to this problem, including prevention efforts through education, counseling, and improving the quality of education and policies to prevent early marriage from the government and related institutions.

Counseling on The Importance of The Diction of “Side Dishes Amis-Amis” for Pregnant, Breastfeeding Women and Toddler for Preventing Bad Nutrition and Stunting in Kalisat Village, Jember District, East Java

Jember Regency ranks 8th in East Java and 11th in Indonesia for cases of malnutrition and stunting in infants. Kalisat District is among the top 5 for stunted babies in Jember. The root of the problem is not only the local economy but also the public's understanding of the term "nutrition," which is not yet reflected in daily life. Therefore, counseling on understanding the word nutrition, replaced with "amis-amis or mis-amis" for various high-protein side dishes, is essential. The young mothers in Jember had poor understanding and very low reflection on the term nutrition, contributing to malnutrition and stunting in Kalisat Village, Kalisat District. The solution is to conduct counseling and practical sessions on the importance of understanding the term "fishy side dishes" that are high in animal protein for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to enhance brain and physical growth (fetal) and avoid malnutrition and stunting. The methods of implementation include observation, interviews (in FGD), counseling, and practical sessions in Kalisat Village, Jember. The results show that community service involving counseling or socialization of the understanding of the word nutrition, implemented through the replacement of the term with "fishy side dishes," is more effective. This approach includes FGD, counseling, and practical sessions of cooking and eating together using high-protein fishy side dishes. These methods are aimed at improving growth and development in children (from the womb, during breastfeeding, and in toddlers) to prevent malnutrition and stunting.

Socialization Strategy Of Posyandu Dahlia Cadres In Order To Reduce Infant Malnu-trition In The Age Range Of 0-9 Months In Heramkota District, Jayapura

Socialization Strategy Of Posyandu Dahlia Cadres In Order To Reduce Infant Malnu-trition In The Age Range Of 0-9 Months In Heramkota District, Jayapura

Identifying priority double-duty actions to tackle the double burden of malnutrition in infants and young children in Peru: Assessment and prioritisation of government actions by national experts.

Multiple forms of malnutrition coexist in infants and young children (IYC) in Peru. The World Health Organization has proposed double-duty actions (DDAs) to simultaneously address undernutrition and overweight/obesity. We assessed current implementation of- and priority for- government-level actions to tackle multiple forms of malnutrition in IYC in Peru. Mapping of current policy activity was undertaken against 47 indicators of good practice for five DDAs (exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, food marketing, maternal nutrition, preschool nutrition; assessed by 27 indicators) and for the enabling policy environment, i.e., 'infrastructure support' (health in all policies, platforms for interactions, financing, monitoring, governance, leadership; assessed by 20 indicators). Interviews with 16 national experts explored views on the level of and barriers to implementation of DDAs and infrastructure support, as well as their prioritisation based on likely impact and feasibility. The level of implementation of actions was categorised into two groups (agenda setting/formulation vs. implementation/evaluation). Mean scores were generated for prioritisation of DDAs and infrastructure support. Deductive qualitative analysis was undertaken to identify barriers that influence policy implementation. Only 5/27 DDA indicators were reported as fully implemented by all national experts (international code that regulates the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, iron supplementation for IYC, micronutrient powders in IYC, iron/folic acid supplementation in pregnant women, paid maternity leave). Only 1/20 infrastructure support indicator (access to nutrition information) was rated as fully implemented by all experts. Barriers to implementing DDAs and infrastructure support included: legal feasibility or lack of regulations, inadequate monitoring/evaluation to ensure enforcement, commercial influences on policymakers, insufficient resources, shifting public health priorities with the COVID-19 pandemic and political instability. The experts prioritised 12 indicators across all five DDAs and eight infrastructure support indicators. Experts highlighted the need to improve implementation of all DDAs and identified ways to strengthen the enabling policy environment.

New WHO guideline on the prevention and management of acute malnutrition in infants and young children: remaining challenges

New WHO guideline on the prevention and management of acute malnutrition in infants and young children: remaining challenges

Impact of cow, buffalo, goat or camel milk consumption on oxidative stress, inflammation and immune response post weaning time

Milk is a whitish liquid that is secreted from mammary glands; and considered as the primary source of nutrition for newborns since they are not able to digest solid food. However, it contains primary nutrients, as well as growth and immune factors. Early weaning is a critical issue that face women and their babies in developing countries. To avoid infant malnutrition, they tend to use other milk types instead of baby formula. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the impact of cow, buffalo, goat or camel milk consumption on oxidative stress, inflammation and immune response in male and female Sprague Dawley rats post weaning time. The amino acids, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins in the tested milk types were evaluated. Animals were divided into 5 groups (control, cow, buffalo, goat and camel milk administrated groups) (10 rats/group); each animal was administrated by 3.4 ml/day. Rats were administered with milk for 6 weeks; at the end of the 5th week, five animals of each group were isolated and the remaining five animals were immunized with sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) and kept for another week to mount immune response. The effect of different milk types on rats’ immune response towards SRBCs was evaluated through pro-inflammatory cytokines, antioxidants, ESR and CRP measurement; together, with the histopathological examination of spleen samples and hemagglutination assay. Camel milk consumption reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in spleen that resulted from SRBCs immunization; in addition to, B cell stimulation that was apparent from the high level of anti-SRBCs antibodies. Camel milk is recommended for newborn consumption, due to its high-water content, unsaturated fatty acids, and vitamin C, as well as low lactose and fat content.

Nutritional, functional and sensory characteristics of an infant puree food from pre-treated pumpkin flesh (Curcubita pepo L.), soybean (Glycine max L.) and spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea)

Complementary foods are essential during childhood. They permit and ensure growth and equally alleviate infant malnutrition. The use of locally available foods (Pumpkin, Soybean, and Spinach leaves) for the formulation of complementary foods is recommended as it could improve its accessibility. This study was aimed at formulating an infant puree food with good nutritional quality and an acceptable viscosity. Pumpkin, spinach leaves, and soybean were purchased from the central market of Ngaoundere and subjected to various treatments in the laboratory. Pumpkin flesh was fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum, spinach leaves were steamed, and soybean was soaked in water and latter roasted. The proximate composition of these foodstuff was determined before and after treatments. Two basic purees (PI and PII) were prepared from the pre-treated foods and five other formulations obtained from these basic purees were: (PI4, PI5, PII3, PII4, and PII5) thus corresponding to the addition of water at various volume percentages: 40, 50, 30, 40 and 50 respectively. The proximate composition and sensorial evaluation (taste, flavour, colour, smoothness, viscosity, appearance and overall acceptability) of theses purees were investigated. The results show that fermenting pumpkin flesh led to a significant (p < 0.05) increase in its soluble sugar content by 92.17 % while steam blanching increases the iron content in spinach leaves by 38.83 %. The viscosities of the derived purees produced were within 3280–4460 mPa s. All the formulated infant purees were poor in soluble sugar thus revealing that they all had a low energy value. This suggests that addition of sucrose during formulation could be required. Puree formulations PI4, PI5 and PII3 met the recommendations of WHO/FAO in terms of proteins (13.62 g/100g), fats (10.67 g/100g), and iron (10.00 mg/100g) content. We observed that the overall acceptability of formulated purees was significantly dependent on their taste and sugar content. Puree PII3 made of 85 % fermented pumpkin flesh, 7.5 % steamed spinach leaf paste, 7.5 % of soybean powder and 30 % of water by volume was the most appreciated by the panellists.

Optimization of Blending Ratio of Emmer Wheat Flour, White Sesame Powder and Sweet Potato Leaves Powder to Produce Nutrient-Dense and Sensory Acceptable Gruel

ABSTRACT This study focuses on optimizing the blending ratio of Emmer Wheat Flour (EWF), White Sesame Powder (WSP), and Sweet Potato Leaf Powder (SPLP) to improve the nutritional and sensory properties of gruel for children up to 2 years of age. Thirteen formulations were created with the help of D-optimal mixture design (Minitab Ver. 19.2), considering EWF (70–80%), WSP (10–20%), and SPLP (5–10%). The resulting gruel underwent analysis for proximate, mineral, functional, anti-nutritional, and sensory properties. Graphical optimization revealed that a blend of 71.30% EWF, 20% WSP, and 8.70% SPLP yielded nutrient-enriched gruel with high sensory acceptability (Desirability: 0.85). This optimized gruel contains essential nutrients, including fat (8.35%), protein (15.058%), fiber (8.27%), carbohydrates (62.073%), energy (425.91 kcal/100 g), and minerals (Fe: 9.17, Zn: 3.79, Ca: 393.027 mg/100 g). Overall, the study concludes that EWF, WSP, and SPLP-based gruel can effectively address protein-energy malnutrition and iron deficiency in infants. Novelty Impact Statement Preparation of gruel from the locally available and cost-effective materials are considered in this study. Preparation of the gruel from the emmer wheat, sesame powder and sweet potato leaves powder is not reported yet. The SPLP is rich in different nutrients, and they are the waste produced in the production system. So, using these locally available ingredients to alleviate malnutrition is very important.

Implementation Of The Argonoleptic Test Of Purple Sweet Potatoes BasicBiscuits As A Processing Innovation Of Mp-Asi Ages 6 – 12 Months

This Community Service (PKM) aims to add insight and knowledge about the importance of writing scientific papers, techniques, and procedures for writing scientific publication articles, concepts, and techniques for publishing articles in national scientific journals, to the management of Scientific Publication Journals. Infancy is the most important period because it is a period that is very vulnerable to malnutrition. The provision of breast milk substitutes (MP-ASI) has an important role in overcoming the problem of malnutrition in infants. Purple sweet potatoes can help meet nutritional needs because they contain complex nutrients, namely carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, iron, fiber, and anthocyanins. This type of research is an experiment that aims to determine the organoleptic test on biscuits substituted with purple sweet potato flour. The research population was mothers of infants aged 6-12 months and infants aged 6-12 months with a total population of 293 people. The sampling technique was purposive sampling with a total sample of 29 mothers of infants aged 6-12 months and 29 infants aged 6-12 months. The results of the organoleptic test showed that the level of preference for color was very like (38%) liked (55%) taste was very like (55%) liked (45%), the texture was very like (31%) liked (48%), the aroma was very like (34 %) liked (48%) and the acceptability test for 6-12 months babies liked it (93%). The results of this study can be useful as complementary foods for breast milk so that it can meet the daily nutritional needs of babies. It is recommended that further research be carried out to increase the preference value on the color, texture, and aroma of purple sweet potato biscuits

Correlation between maternal and infant vitamin B12 levels in severe malnutrition in infants under 6months.

Malnutrition poses a significant global health challenge, affecting various age groups, with infants under 6months being particularly vulnerable. Vitamin B12, an essential micronutrient critical for neurological development, has been identified as a key player in the overall health of both mothers and infants. To find the correlation between serum vitamin B12 levels in infants, 1-6months of age with severe malnutrition and maternal levels at tertiary care hospitals in western Rajasthan. The cross-sectional study was conducted in the UNICEF Regional Center of Excellence-supported Nutrition Rehabilitation Center in Rajasthan, India, through simple random sampling. One hundred ten infants with their mothers were enrolled after consent and approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Severe malnutrition predominantly affected infants aged 1-2months, with 77% born small for gestational age and 66.4% belonging to the multiple birth order group. Serum vitamin B12 levels showed a significant positive correlation between mothers and infants (p < 0.001), while exclusive breastfeeding correlated positively with age-appropriate milestones (p = 0.033). The findings emphasize the importance of targeted interventions addressing maternal and infant nutrition, with a focus on ensuring adequate vitamin B12 levels.

A Sociodemographic Assessment of Infant Malnutrition in Rural Area, Bangladesh: Logistic Regression Approach

Abstract : This study investigates the association between socio-demographic factors and infant child (0-1 year) malnutrition defined by underweight, stunting and wasting, in rural areas, Bangladesh. Survey data, Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019 executed by UNICEF and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), is used in the study. The percentage of undernutrition is 17.08% for underweight out of 3571 sample, 18% for stunted out of 3504 sample, 9.8% for wasted out of 3470 sample with omitting missing value. Statistical methods, ANOVA, chi-square test and sampling weighted logistic regression model, are used to figure out impact of individual socio-demographic factors on child malnutrition. The variables gender, receiving prenatal care, delivery place, parents education, wealth index, child weight at birth, geographical division, and women age group at birth, are significantly associated with malnourished children (P-value: 1%, 5% or 10%). Odds of being malnutrition is lower among female children, educated parents and rich family. Prevalence of child underweight is higher among mother physical disability, childbirth weight. The undernutrition, stunting and wasting, are highly likely among the children of disabled mother. The presence of underweight and wasting is higher in Sylhet Division, lower in Mymenshingh Division respectively, while the prevalence of stunting is higher in Mymenshingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhhet Division.

Malnutrition and Breastfeeding of Infants at 6 Months in Rural TOGO

Malnutrition and Breastfeeding of Infants at 6 Months in Rural TOGO

Acceptability and Feasibility of Maternal Mental Health Assessment When Managing Small, Nutritionally At-Risk Infants Aged < 6 Months: A Key Informant Interview Study.

Maternal mental health (MMH) conditions and infant malnutrition are both major global public health concerns. Despite a well-established link between the two, many nutrition programmes do not routinely consider MMH. New World Health Organization (WHO) malnutrition guidelines do, however, emphasise MMH. To inform guideline rollout, we aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of MMH assessments in nutrition programmes in low-resource settings. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with international key informants who work on nutrition programmes or MMH research. Interview transcripts were coded using subthemes derived from the key points discussed. The benefits and risks were highlighted. These included ethical dilemmas of asking about MMH if local treatment services are suboptimal. Commonly reported challenges included governance, staff training and finance. Community and programme staff perceptions of MMH were primarily negative across the different settings. Many points were raised for improvements and innovations in practice, but fundamental developments were related to governance, care pathways, advocacy, training, funding and using existing community networks. Future implementation research is needed to understand whether assessment is safe/beneficial (as it is in other settings) to promote MMH screening. Current service providers in low-resource settings can undertake several steps, as recommended in this paper, to improve the care offered to mothers and infants.

Ultrasound assessment of malnutrition in infancy: a pilot case-control study

This study aimed at determining the intra- and inter-rater reliability in ultrasound body composition measurements and investigating the differences between malnourished and non-malnourished infants. Sonographic images for measurements of fat and muscle thickness were compared between 9 malnourished and 9 non-malnourished hospitalized infants. The mean of fat and muscle thickness sums were 12.44 ± 7.58 mm and 28.98 ± 7.18 mm, respectively. The intra- and inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficient were above 0.9 for both measurements, indicating high intra- and inter-rater reliability. Compared to non-malnourished infants, malnourished infants have 45% of fat thickness sum and 71% of muscle thickness sum. Ultrasound measurements of body composition in infants were different between hospitalized malnourished and non-malnourished infants. This approach has the potential to be utilized more broadly, from assessing the nutritional status of critically ill infants in intensive care units to screening for malnutrition in high-risk infant populations.

Daya terima dan kandungan gizi formulasi biskuit IBBU sebagai pangan darurat bencana pereda stres ibu hamil

Background: Disasters can cause emergencies that have the potential to impact food and nutrition crises, especially in the first five days (first phase of emergency response); therefore, assistance is needed in the form of providing food immediately. Pregnant women are vulnerable groups that can become victims of disasters. Insufficient intake by pregnant women during a disaster can lead to a potential incidence of infection, stunting, and malnutrition in infants. Additionally, disaster conditions can cause pregnant women to experience stress.Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the formulation of disaster emergency food biscuits in an effort to relieve stress in pregnant women victims of disasters.Methods: This type of research was purely experimental on the biscuit formula and had a completely randomized design with five formulas. The nutritional content was calculated using DKBM. The acceptability test at the organoleptic stage was quasi-experimental. The organoleptic quality tested on 3 limited panelists and 25 somewhat trained panelists was analyzed using the Kruskal Wallis test (α ≤ 0,05). Results: The results showed that the formula with the best acceptability was F1 (purple sweet potato flour 30 g; skim milk powder 10 g; soy protein isolate 5 g; nutmeg powder 7 g) with total energy per serving 247,4 kcal, which fulfills 11% of the energy needs of pregnant women. Giving 7 grams of nutmeg powder can potentially relieve stress in pregnant women if consumed one serving per day for 15 days.Conclusion: An increasing number of substitutions resulted in lower acceptability and higher energy, protein, and fiber contents in biscuits. In addition, biscuits are produced with high nutritional content and can relieve stress. The formula with the best acceptability was obtained using F1 (7,5% purple sweet potato flour, 2,5% skim milk powder, 1,3% soy protein isolate, and 1,8% nutmeg) and had the potential to relieve the stress of pregnant female victims of the disaster.

Designing intervention prototypes to improve infant and young child nutrition in Peru: a participatory design study protocol

IntroductionNutrition during the complementary feeding period (6–23 months) is critical to ensure optimal growth and reduce the risk of diet-related disease across the life course. Strategies to reduce multiple forms...