Nutritional Status Of Young Children Research Articles

Incidence of Pneumonia on the Nutritional Status of Young Children in the Work Room of the Antang Public Health Center, Makassar South Sulawesi

Pneumonia is infection network lungs Which nature I reason his is bacteria, virus, mold, exposure material chemistry or damage physique from bacterial lungs Which normal cause pneumonia is Streptococcus and Mycoplasma Pneumonia, whereas virus which cause pneumonia is Adenoviruses, Rhinovirus, Influenza Virus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus. The aim of this study to find out the relationship between nutritional status and the incidence of pneumonia in toddlers In Region Work Public health center Antang. Type study This is method study analytical observation with a cross sectional approach. This research was carried out in part Antang health center working area. population in study this all toddler which visit in Public health center Antang. Technique taking sample use simple random sampling. The data analysis carried out was univariate analysis and bivaruate analysis. Test that on used is the chi square statistical test with another alternative test, namely the Fisher Excat test with level meaning p=0 .02 so HA accepted Because proven to exist connection knowledge Mother pregnant with attitude with p<0.05. Concluded there is connection Between Nutritional Status and the Incidence of Pneumonia in Toddlers in Community Health Center Working Areas Antang. Based on results study this, as good as his officer health especially midwife collaborate with health agencies that hold outreach and outreach activities so that they can increase knowledge, and information person related old pneumonia treatment on toddler.

Asupan Gizi Anak Usia Dini Melalui Program Kerja Di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Tamalanrea Makassar

In Indonesia, nutritional problems, especially for early childhood, are a big problem because they are closely related to general health indicators such as morbidity and mortality rates. One effort to improve the level of public health can be done by improving the nutritional status of all family members with the support of various factors in a coordinated manner and is part of development to improve community welfare. The aim of efforts to improve nutritional status is to improve the nutritional condition of all members of society through participation and equal distribution of activities, changes in behavior that support the achievement of improved nutrition. Nutrition, which plays a big role in children's growth and development, must be a supervised and programmed part. Nutritional intake in early childhood cannot be separated and is closely related to children's health and intelligence. Apart from that, the nutritional intake the child receives will be a supporting factor in the child's growth and development. An unbalanced diet and inadequate or excessive nutritional intake can cause stunted growth and development in children. Monitoring of nutritional status is carried out every month in the Tamalanrea Community Health Center Work Area, there are 6 young children who have normal nutritional status and 18 young children still have malnutrition status, one of which is malnourished. Thirteen Early Childhood Children can no longer be monitored because they are not actively attending. The quality and quantity of complementary foods for breast milk really determines the nutritional status of young children. For this reason, mothers need to be given knowledge and skills in processing food by paying attention to the quality and quantity of complementary breast milk foods. Quality is seen from the type and diversity of food, while quantity is seen from the frequency of feeding. In connection with this, community service activities were carried out involving malnourished mothers of young children in making nutritious and varied complementary foods for breast milk.

CHILDHOOD PICKY EATING BEHAVIOUR AND ITS IMPACT ON THE GROWTH OF YOUNG CHILDREN: A SCOPING REVIEW

Background: Malnutrition occurs due to inadequate food intake and low daily energy intake, often associated with picky eating behaviour (PEB). Picky eaters have limited food choices and poor dietary diversity, leading to malnutrition. Therefore, this article aims to explore the impact of childhood eating behaviour on a young child's growth. Method: Articles were identified through six electronic search engines using 12 keywords. Articles were included if they met the following criteria: (1) sample of study involved young children (below six years old); (2) study outcome focusing on the impact of eating behaviour on the growth of the children (3) published in English. Studies were excluded if they were review articles, qualitative studies, and involved children with clinical health problems. Result: A total of 413 articles were screened, and 8 full-text articles were evaluated. The prevalence rates of selective eaters varied greatly from 25% in India to 77% in Iraq. The screening tools used for identifying PEB varied, with the Children’s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) being the most commonly used tool. Short-term implications of PEB on children include the risk of poor diet intake and limited consumption of a variety of food groups, which can lead to adverse health outcomes. Meanwhile, long-term implications include the development of eating disorders in adulthood. Conclusion: Our findings reveal that PEB has had a significant impact on the growth of young children. Despite the increasing concern about the implications of PEB, there is a lack of sufficient research studies on the effects of this behaviour on the nutritional status of young children. Keywords: eating behaviour; picky eaters; nutritional status; growth; young children

Mother's Knowledge, Diet and Nutritional Status in Stunted Toddlers (Literature Review)

Childhood is an important age for physical growth. The growth of children under the age of five is so fast that they need to eat foods that are in line with their needs. The purpose of this study was to examine maternal knowledge and the relationship between nutrition and nutritional status in young children. This research is a literature review with a descriptive research method and library research where this research tries to explain the real things, which are happening now or in the past. This article examines maternal knowledge and the relationship between diet and nutritional status in child stunting. Based on studies from many previous studies, it is known that the level of knowledge of mothers about nutrition is effective in supporting the nutrition of their children. It is assumed that mothers who have good knowledge about food choose the right food for themselves and their children.

Nutritional status of young children born with low birthweight in a low resource setting: an observational study

ObjectiveEvery year, an estimated 20 million babies are born with low birthweight and this number is increasing globally. Survivors are at risk of lifelong morbidities like undernutrition. We assessed the growth and nutritional status for children born with low birthweight at Mulago Hospital, Uganda.MethodsWe conducted a cross sectional study to describe the nutritional status of children aged between 22 and 38 months and born weighing ≤ 2000 g. Anthropometric measurements; weight for height, height for age and weight for age z-scores were generated based on the World Health Organization standards to define wasting, stunting and underweight respectively. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analysis was done using STATA version 14.ResultsOf the 251 children, 129 (51.4%) were male, mean age was 29.7 months SD 4.5) and maternal mean age was 29.9 (SD 5.3). A total of 101(40.2%) had normal nutritional status. The prevalence of wasting, underweight and stunting were: 8 (3.2%), 36 (14.4%) and 106 (42.2%) respectively.ConclusionSix of ten children born with low birthweight were at risk of undernutrition in early childhood: underweight and stunting were higher than the national prevalence. Targeted interventions are needed for children with very low birth weight.

Effects of an integrated poultry value chain, nutrition, gender and WASH intervention (SELEVER) on hygiene and child morbidity and anthropometry in Burkina Faso: A secondary outcome analysis of a cluster randomised trial.

Nutrition-sensitive agriculture programmes have the potential to improve child nutrition outcomes, but livestock intensification may pose risks related to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions. We assessed the impact of SELEVER, a nutrition- and gender-sensitive poultry intervention, with and without added WASH focus, on hygiene practices, morbidity and anthropometric indices of nutrition in children aged 2-4 years in Burkina Faso. A 3-year cluster randomised controlled trial was implemented in 120 villages in 60 communes (districts) supported by the SELEVER project. Communes were randomly assigned using restricted randomisation to one of three groups: (1) SELEVER intervention (n = 446 households); (2) SELEVER plus WASH intervention (n = 432 households); and (3) control without intervention (n = 899 households). The study population included women aged 15-49 years with an index child aged 2-4 years. We assessed the effects 1.5-years (WASH substudy) and 3-years (endline) post-intervention on child morbidity and child anthropometry secondary trial outcomes using mixed effects regression models. Participation in intervention activities was low in the SELEVER groups, ranging from 25% at 1.5 years and 10% at endline. At endline, households in the SELEVER groups had higher caregiverknowledge ofWASH-livestock risks (∆ = 0.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.04-0.16]) and were more likely to keep children separated from poultry (∆ = 0.09, 95% CI [0.03-0.15]) than in the control group. No differences were found for other hygiene practices, child morbidity symptoms or anthropometry indicators. Integrating livestock WASH interventions alongside poultry and nutrition interventions can increase knowledge of livestock-related risks and improve livestock-hygiene-related practices, yet may not be sufficient to improve the morbidity and nutritional status of young children.

The Influence of Mother's Parenting Patterns on the Nutritional Status of Toddlers in the Work Area of the Oepoi Health Center, Kupang City.

Mothers' parenting style has a significant impact on the nutritional status of young children under five. Numerous mothers indicate unhealthy food parenting behaviors toward their toddlers, which may have an impact on their nutritional intake. Other mothers indicate poor personal hygiene parenting behaviors, particularly in relation to PHBS habit. Taking children to Posyandu may have an impact on monitoring the young children's development and growth. The purpose of this study is to determine whether maternal parenting has an impact on the nutritional status of the young children. This type of research is analytic with cross sectional. A total of 102 samples were selected by purposive sampling. The research was conducted in January-February 2022. Univariate and bivariate data analysis was carried out using the logistic regression test. The test results showed that there was an effect of parenting style 0.000 <0.005 with a 43.0% and risk of 10.105. There is an effect of feeding practices 0.001 <0.005 with a large influence of 36.9% and risk of 5.824. There is an influence of personal hygiene practices. 0.000 < 0.005 with a large influence of 16.5% and risk of 9.462. There is an influence of health care practices 0.000 <0.005 with a large influence of 26.6% and risk of 5.824. Mothers are expected to be able to provide the right food for children in accordance with the nutritional needs of children at the age of five, increase PHBS and always bring children to the posyandu.

WHO-Anthro Growth Standard's Effect On Quality and Data On Toddler Nutrition

Indonesia began implementing the WHO-2006 child growth standard in 2010, including Aceh Province. However, it has not used WHO-Anthro to measure the quality of data and information on the nutritional status of children under five. Nutritionists only assess the growth of toddlers using simplified tables and growth charts. The study aims to measure the effect of using WHO-Anthro growth standards on toddlers' quality and nutritional status data.The study used a Quasi Experiment design conducted at the Banda Aceh City Health Office in 2021. The subjects were all nutritionists, namely 22 nutritionists. Data collection was carried out for three months, starting from the pretest and post-test after one month of practice and after two months—the training on using WHO-Anthro application-based growth standards. The data collected was the quality of nutrition data, including timeliness, completeness of information, accuracy, and usefulness. Data were analyzed using the Repeated Measured Anova test at 95% CI. The results found that using WHO-Anthro standards for two months after the intervention had improved the quality of nutrition data to 85.16%. Therefore, there is a statistically significant difference in average data quality between before and after one to two months of using WHO-Anthro (p-value < 0.05). In conclusion, using WHO-Anthro growth standards can improve the quality of data and information on the nutritional status of young children.

Household food security, dietary patterns and nutritional status of young children in a Nigerian community: Situation of post-COVID-19 lockdown

The emergence of the novel Coronavirus in late 2019 led to disruptions in the food, economic and health systems. There are projections that the pandemic will worsen hunger and malnutrition in families with young children and women of reproductive age in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Therefore, this study investigated household food security status, dietary patterns and nutritional status of children in a Nigerian community during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total sample of 200 mother-child pairs was selected from a Nigerian community using a multi-stage sampling technique. A semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, which had four sections, was used for data collection. A food security survey questionnaire was used to assess household food security, and a food frequency questionnaire was used to capture child food patterns. Dietary diversity was assessed using 24-hour dietary recall, and nutritional status was measured using anthropometric parameters. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Almost half (48.5%) of the mothers were aged between 24 and 35 years, with a mean age of 31.63 +6.3 years. The majority of the children (69%) were between 24 and 60 months-old, with a mean age of 29.80 +15.48 months. Most participants (73.7%) were food insecure. Cereals, roots and tubers (79.5%), and sugar and junk (61.4 %) were the most frequently consumed food groups by children, while dairy products (15.8 %), vegetables (18.1%), and fruits (19.3 %) were the least frequently consumed. The majority had a low dietary diversity score (61.4%), and the prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight was 41.3%, 27.2% and 3.3%, respectively. There was a statistically significant (p=0.013) relationship between maternal age and child dietary diversity. This study reveals that most households with mothers and children 6-59 months-old were food insecure. More than half of the children had low dietary diversity, and the consequences of poor diet quality are becoming evident as wasting and stunting are high. Therefore, an urgent public health intervention is needed to improve food security in vulnerable households. Key words: Household food security, Dietary pattern, Nutritional Status, COVID-19

WASH, nutrition and health-seeking behavior during COVID-19 lockdowns: Evidence from rural Bangladesh.

A general lockdown to minimize to slow transmission of COVID-19 in Bangladesh came into effect on March 26th and lasted until May 30th. The lockdown had far-reaching economic implications for the population, with many facing economic hardship due to loss of income. Despite the attempt of the government to ease economic hardship by means of social safety net packages, people suffered from poor access to health services, and financial and food insecurity. This is likely to have disastrous consequences for the nutritional status of young children. This cross-sectional study measured the impact of the first general lockdown on food consumption of young children, access to water, handwashing and health seeking behavior, and the ability to maintain livelihood among households with children under the age of 5, in rural Bangladesh. The result of the analysis suggest that loss of income was reported by almost all respondents across all socio-economic groups. However, the poorest households were less likely to provide for sufficient food for their families and had to reduce consumption of food. Diet diversity and food intake-particularly animal protein sources-for young children were severely affected. On the other, increased awareness of handwashing and access to soap were also reported. The pandemic is likely to be detrimental to the nutritional status of children in Bangladesh and can exacerbate existing health inequities. Strong social safety net programs are needed to protect vulnerable populations to consequences of restrictive measures, supported in design and implementation by non-governmental organizations.

Effect of Fortified Formula on Growth and Nutritional Status in Young Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Previous reviews of the effect of young child formulas on health outcomes in infants and toddlers have been inconclusive. In this study, we undertook a contemporary synthesis of studies investigating the effects of consuming fortified milk beverages (compared to cow's milk or unfortified comparator formula) on growth and/or nutritional status in children 1-3 years of age. Five electronic databases were searched (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library) for randomised controlled trials comparing fortified milk against control milk in young children (9-48 months), published between January 1990 and June 2022. Outcomes were growth, body composition, biochemical markers, and/or nutritional status. Mean differences (MD) were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis where there were ≥3 studies. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. Nineteen articles (12 studies; n = 4795) met the inclusion criteria. Heterogeneity was substantial, likely attributable to considerable variation in study characteristics. Fortified milk was associated with increased weight gain (MD = 0.14 kg [95% CI 0.06, 021], p = 0.0003) compared with control milk. Subgroup analyses demonstrated increases in weight in lower-income countries, and in studies with intervention periods > 6 months. There were no effects of fortified milks on other anthropometric measures. Haemoglobin (MD = 3.76 g/L [95% CI 0.17, 7.34], p = 0.04) and ferritin (MD = 0.01 nmol/L [95% CI 0.00, 0.02], p = 0.02) concentrations were increased in infants consuming fortified milks. Fortified milk beverages appear to offer a safe and acceptable source of complementary nutrition as a short-term strategy for addressing nutritional deficits and may modestly promote weight gain in vulnerable populations when provided for periods > 6 months. This study was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022339920) and funded by the Infant Nutrition Council.

Nutrition Outcomes of Under-five Children of Smallholder Farm Households: Do Higher Commercialization Levels Lead to Better Nutritional Status?

The study investigated the nutritional status of under-five children of farm households. The study utilized primary data from 352 farm households with 140 under-five children. Household crop commercialization index (CCI) was used to estimate cassava farm household crop sale ratio and categorize the households into four commercialization levels while WHO Anthro software was employed to analyze under-five children anthropometric indices such as weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), height-for-age z-score (HAZ) and weight-for-height z-score (WHZ). Logit regression model (LRM) was used to examine the drivers of under-five children’s nutritional status of farm households. The study found that 42.9%, 7.9% and 3.6% of the children are stunted, underweight and wasted respectively. The highest stunting level was recorded in zero level households (CCI 1). Although, some higher CCI households (medium-high and very-high level) recorded increased percent of stunted children. This revealed that being a member of low or high-level commercialization households may not guarantee better nutritional status of young children of farm households. The results of LRM indicated that the predictors of children nutritional status were child’s age, farm size, access to electricity, healthcare and commercialization variables. Moreover, weak positive and negative relationships exist between CCI and children’s nutrition outcomes as measured by the z-scores. The study recommended maternal nutrition-sensitive education intervention that can improve nutrition knowledge of mothers and provision of infrastructure that enhance increased farm production and promote healthy living among farm households.

The nutritional status of young children 0-24 months attending clinics in Tshwane health sub-district 1, Gauteng province, South Africa

Children between the ages 0 - 24 months are at high nutritional risk, which affects their growth and development, cognitive capacity, and productivity in adulthood. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the nutritional status of young children 0 - 24 months attending clinics in Tshwane Health Sub-District 1, Gauteng province, South Africa. A clinic-based cross-sectional quantitative descriptive study design was applied in this study. Anthropometric data were collected from 270 young children (107 aged 0 – 6 months, 91 aged 6.1 – 12 months, 47 aged 12.1 – 18 months, and 25 aged 18.1 – 24 months) in 10 clinics in Tshwane Health Sub-District 1 using a questionnaire. Data was captured on a Microsoft Excel 2016 spreadsheet and analysed using SAS (SAS Institute Inc, Carey, NC, USA), Release 9.4. A Pearson chi-square test was used to test for correlation between the socio-economic, demographic and the nutritional status of young children, where a P-value ≤0.05 was considered significant. The results of the study showed that 160 (59.3%) had normal weight for length, 18 (6.7%) were wasted, 22 (8.2%) were severely wasted, 24 (8.9%) were overweight and 46 (17.0%) were obese. One hundred and fifty-six (57.8%) had normal weight for age, 47 (17.4%) were underweight, 17 (6.3%) were severely underweight, 39(14.4%) had weight for age >+2SD and 11(4.1%) had weight for age >+3SD. 204 (75.6%) had normal length for age, 26 (9.6%) were stunted, 40 (14.8%) were severely stunted. For overweight young children, there was a significant association between weight and the number of people in the households, at P<0.038 and mothers weekly spend on food, at P<0.027. There was a significant association between length and the number of persons in the households at P<0.047, mothers' income at P<0.047, and mothers weekly spend on food at P<0.051. For underweight young children, there was a significant association between weight and weekly spend on food at P<0.037. There was a significant association between length and mothers' education at P<0.007. Although, the majority of young children had normal weight for length, normal weight for age and normal length for age. In this study, a significant number of young children were malnourished. The young child’s weight for length and weight for age were influenced by the mother’s weekly expenditure on food. Since the mother’s employment status influences the child's weight and length, the implementation of alternative nutrition intervention strategies to monitor and improve the nutritional status of young children is necessary. Key words: Underweight, wasting, stunting, undernutrition, overweight, obesity, malnutrition, nutritional status, young children, mothers

Intensive Health Care plus Vitamin D Administration Benefits the Growth and Development of Young Children and Reduces the Incidence of Nutritional Disorders.

This study was intended to assess the effect of intensive health care plus vitamin D administration on the growth, development, and nutritional status of young children. Totally, 131 young children who were admitted to Shiyan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from January 2020 to January 2021 were included and assigned via the random number table method at a ratio of 1 : 1 : 1 to receive either vitamin D administration (vitamin D group, n = 42), intensive health care (IHC) (IHC group, n = 44), or vitamin D administration plus intensive health care (combination group, n = 45). All children received a normal diet and routine care. After the intervention, all children showed robust improvement in their height, weight, neuropsychological development, and nutritional status, in which the combination therapy was associated with better outcomes in terms of physical development, neuropsychological development, and nutritional status, and a higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-(OH)D3) level of the children versus monotherapy. Children receiving combined therapy had a significantly lower incidence of nutritional disorders than those receiving single therapy. Intensive health care plus vitamin D benefits the growth and development of young children and reduces the incidence of nutritional disorders in children.

Determinants of Complementary Feeding Practices and Nutritional Status of Children 6 – 23 Months in Pastoralist Communities of Isiolo, Kenya

Optimal complementary feeding practices play a vital role in the nutritional status of young children. In Kenya, significantly higher rates of acute malnutrition have been reported among pastoralist communities, particularly among children aged 6-23months. There is inadequate complementary feeding data on pastoralist communities despite their vulnerability. The objective of the study was to establish the determinants of complementary feeding practices and nutritional status of children 6-23 months among pastoralist communities of Isiolo County, Kenya. A cross-sectional analytical study using two-stage cluster sampling methodology was applied to select a sample of 288 children aged 6-23 months from pastoralist communities. Data on the socio-demographic characteristics of the study population, complementary feeding practices and anthropometric measurements of the children aged 6-23 months was collected and analysed. Overall, the prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting was 19.1%, 7.3% and 5.2% respectively. A variation in malnutrition prevalence was observed with age of children, with the 18-23month age group showing a higher prevalence of all forms of undernutrition. Male children had significantly higher proportions of underweight and stunting (p ≤ 0.05). Complementary feeding practices were sub-optimal - minimum meal frequency (60.4%), minimum dietary diversity (35.4%) and minimum acceptable diet (25.3%). Child age, child sex, caregiver’s age, and caregiver education level were significant determinants for complementary feeding practices and nutritional status of children 6-23months (p ≤ 0.05). We recommend that community based approaches targeting pastoralist communities should address the basic cause of child malnutrition through nutrition education and women empowerment initiatives.

Role of Responsive Feeding on Nutritional Status Of Children With Cerebral Palsy

Under nutrition is common in children with cerebral palsy (CP) due to oromotor dysfunction and feeding difficulties. Responsive feeding is a growing concern in nutrition field as a potential intervention for caregiver’s behaviour change during feeding. This study was designed to identify the feeding style of caregiver and the role of responsive behaviour on food refusal and nutritional status of young children with CP. This was a cross-sectional mix method study. Participants were children with CP aged between 18-36 months. 66 caregiverchildren were selected as quantitative sample and 11 mothers were included in two focused group discussions for qualitative data. Children’s feeding session for one main meal was videotaped at a rehabilitation centre. Feeding styles were coded as active and responsive behaviour which was further categorized into positive and negative behaviour. Nutritional status was measured as weight for age z scores. Caregivers mostly used active behaviour than responsive and more positive behaviour than negative. The relation between feeding style and food refusal was found and negative behaviour was related with increased food refusal. Significant relationship was found between caregiver’s active and positive behaviour and child’s active behaviour. More than half of the children with CP were underweight for their age. No significant relation appeared between weight for age z score and caregiver’s feeding style. Social Science Review, Vol. 38(1), June 2021 Page 217-248

Observation of Traditional Caregiver-Infant Feeding Behaviours and Porridge and Energy Intakes during One Meal to Define Key Messages for Promoting Responsive Feeding in the Amparafaravola District, Rural Madagascar.

Undernutrition is highly prevalent in young children in Madagascar and insufficient intake per meal could be one of the main causes. A cross-sectional survey of infant feeding practices including video-recorded meal observations was carried out with 101 caregiver–infant pairs in the Amparafaravola district, Northeast Madagascar. The objective was to quantify the porridge/energy intake of 9–11-month-old children and assess its association with the caregiver–infant feeding behaviours. Then, key messages for promoting responsive feeding (RF) were developed and tested through focus group discussions. The mean porridge intake was 12.8 ± 7.5 g/kg body weight (BW)/meal, corresponding to hardly one-third of the 300 kcal recommended from complementary foods for 9–11-month-old children. Analysis of meal videos suggested that mothers practiced the five positive feeding behaviours (self-feeding, responsive, active, social, and distraction), and rarely the negative ones. Only 6.9% of mothers used positive RF “very frequently”, although it was associated with higher intakes (p < 0.05), with mean intake reaching 21 g/kg BW. In focus groups, caregivers approved the six RF messages and related counselling cards. They suggested some modifications to improve their understanding, and counselling cards were revised accordingly. The long-term impact of RF-promoting card use on the meal intakes and the nutritional status of young children must now be assessed.

Middle East consensus recommendations on the use of young child formula (YCF) in toddlers

The transition of foods during toddlerhood and the suboptimal diets consumed in the Middle East make children susceptible to malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Based on international recommendations, coupled with the merits of clinical studies on the application of young child formula (YCF), a group of fourteen experts from the Middle East reached a consensus on improving the nutritional status of toddlers. The recommendations put forth by the expert panel comprised twelve statements related to the relevance of YCF in young children; the impact of YCF on their nutritional parameters and functional outcomes; characteristics of the currently available YCF and its ideal composition; strategies to supply adequate nutrition in young children and educational needs of parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs). This consensus aims to serve as a guide to HCPs and parents, focusing on improving the nutritional balance in toddlers in the Middle Eastern region. The panellists considere YCF to be one of the potential solutions to improve the nutritional status of young children in the region. Other strategies to improve the nutritional status of young children include fortified cow's milk and cereals, vitamin and mineral supplements, early introduction of meat and fish, and the inclusion of diverse foods in children's diets.

Associations of Nutritional Status with Full Immunization Coverage and Safe Hygiene Practices among Thai Children Aged 12-59 Months.

Prevailing prevention measures against morbidity, such as vaccination and safe hygiene practices, vary among local cultural contexts, and little is known about the extent to which these behaviors mitigate poor nutritional status in young children in Southeast Asia. We examined the associations between nutrition status with full immunization coverage, and water, sanitation and hygiene status among children aged 12–59 months in the 2015–2016 Thailand Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (n = 9060). When adjusted for confounding factors, children with incomplete immunization status were more likely to be stunted (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.47; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.24–1.75, p < 0.001), wasted (aOR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.31–2.12, p < 0.001), and overweight (aOR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.01–1.51, p < 0.05), whereas children who used unimproved water sources were more likely to be overweight (aOR 2.43, 95% CI: 1.27–4.64, p < 0.01). The further implementation of simple and cost-effective health promotion activities and practices at the household level may be important interventions for healthy child growth and development, particularly under restricted living conditions due to COVID-19.

DEVELOPMENT OF ENRICHED CUPCAKES AND COOKIES WITH ORANGE-FLESHED SWEET POTATO (IPOMEABATATAS L.): SENSORY AND NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION

In developing countries especially in Côte d’Ivoire child malnutrition is a major burden. This malnutrition is often associated with poor nutritional composition of the complementary foods introduced during the weaning period. The purpose of this study was to assess nutritional, microbiological, and sensory properties of cupcakes and cookies supplemented with orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP). The proximate and microbiological analysis of enriched products was performed using analytical standard methods. Sensory evaluation of formulated cupcakes and cookies was based on nine-point hedonic scales. Proximate composition showed significant improvements in the contents of ash (1.02±0.06 – 1.98±0.03 g/100g dw), fiber (5.39±0.13 – 7.64±0.47 g/100g dw), and provitamin A (1031 – 4641 mg/100g dw) of enriched cupcakes and cookies compared to control. Based on moderate daily consumption of two pieces of OFSP composite cupcakes (60g/piece) and cookies (44g/piece), children aged 1 to 3 years may cover at least 42 and 85 % of their RDA for vitamin A, respectively. The microbial analysis indicated showed that enriched OFSP cupcakes and cookies were of acceptable microbiological quality. In addition, the enriched OFSP cupcakes and cookies were accepted and liked by the consumers excepted those containing 50% OFSP flour. Thus, cupcakes and cookies formulated with 35% OFSP flour can serve as a valuable vehicle for improving the nutritional status of young children.