The relationship between wasting and stunting in young children: A systematic review

In 2014, the Emergency Nutrition Network published a report on the relationship between wasting and stunting. We aim to review evidence generated since that review to better understand the implications for improving child nutrition, health and survival. We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines, registered with PROSPERO. We identified search terms that describe wasting and stunting and the relationship between the two. We included studies related to children under five from low- and middle-income countries that assessed both ponderal growth/wasting and linear growth/stunting and the association between the two. We included 45 studies. The review found the peak incidence of both wasting and stunting is between birth and 3 months. There is a strong association between the two conditions whereby episodes of wasting contribute to stunting and, to a lesser extent, stunting leads to wasting. Children with multiple anthropometric deficits, including concurrent stunting and wasting, have the highest risk of near-term mortality when compared with children with any one deficit alone. Furthermore, evidence suggests that the use of mid-upper-arm circumference combined with weight-for-age Z score might effectively identify children at most risk of near-term mortality. Wasting and stunting, driven by common factors, frequently occur in the same child, either simultaneously or at different moments through their life course. Evidence of a process of accumulation of nutritional deficits and increased risk of mortality over a child's life demonstrates the pressing need for integrated policy, financing and programmatic approaches to the prevention and treatment of child malnutrition.     

Utility of QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube Test Compared with Tuberculin Skin Test in Diagnosing Tuberculosis in Indian Children with Malnutrition

This prospective cohort study was conducted to compare the accuracy of QuantiFERON®-TB (QFT) Gold In-Tube test and tuberculin skin test (TST) in diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) in predominantly bacille Calmette–Guerin-vaccinated children with a high incidence of malnutrition. The sensitivity of the QFT versus the TST was 69.6% versus 52.9% for WHO-defined TB, with specificity of 86% versus 78.3%, respectively. The concordance of the TST and QFT was 79% overall (κ = 0.430), 62.5% in those with WHO-defined TB and 85.7% in those without TB. Majority of the QFT+/TST − discordance was seen in children with TB, whereas majority of the TST+/QFT − discordance was seen in those without TB. The TST was more likely to be negative in children with moderate-to-severe malnutrition (P = 0.003) compared to the QFT, which was more likely to be positive in younger children. The significantly better performance of the QFT in malnourished children and those at younger ages supports its use for TB diagnosis in these subpopulations.     

Impact of Premorbid Malnutrition and Dysphagia on Ischemic Stroke Outcome in Elderly Patients: A Community-Based Study

Objective: The present study was performed to assess nutritional status and its relationship with clinical outcomes in elderly stroke patients.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, 253 stroke patients were studied. Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was used to assign patients to three groups: malnourished, at risk of malnutrition, and well nourished. Northwestern Dysphagia Patient Check Sheet was administered to all patients. Anthropometric measures, including body mass index (BMI), calf circumferences (CC), mid-arm circumferences (MAC), and triceps skinfold thickness were brought out. In addition, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and biochemical tests were performed.

Results: Of 253 patients, 34.4% were malnourished, 42.3% were at risk of malnutrition, and 23.3% were well nourished. The malnourished patients had significantly lower BMI, CC, and MAC (p?<?0.05). The levels of albumin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly different among the groups (p?<?0.001). The admission and 3-month follow-up mRS scores, as well as dysphagia, were significantly higher in the malnourished patients and those at risk of malnutrition (p?<?0.001). In addition, mRS scores at admission and 3-month follow-up scores, as well as the length of hospital stay (LOS), were significantly correlated with MNA score, dysphagia, BMI, CC, MAC, albumin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (p?<?0.05). Significant unadjusted associations were observed among MNA scores, BMI, CC, MAC, dysphagia scores, NIHSS scores, length of hospital stay (LOS), albumin, hs-C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) with a poor outcome. With a multivariate logistic regression analysis, NIHSS scores and MNA scores remained significantly associated with the poor outcome in patients with ischemic stroke.

Conclusions: The findings of the present study underline the importance of nutritional status in elderly stroke patients.     

Energy needs in the treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition: Secondary analysis to optimize delivery of ready‐to‐use therapeutic foods

Outpatient therapeutic feeding protocols for the treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition in children were initially based on weight gain data from inpatient settings and expert knowledge of the physiological requirements during recovery. However, weight gain and energy requirements from historic inpatient settings may differ from modern outpatient settings and therefore may not be appropriate to guide current therapeutic feeding protocols. We calculated the weight gain and average estimated total daily energy requirement of children successfully treated for uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition as outpatients in Niger (n = 790). Mean energy provided by six therapeutic feeding protocols was calculated and compared with average estimated energy requirements in the study population. Overall weight gain was 5.5 g·kg^?1·day^?1 among recovered children. Average energy requirements ranged from 92 to 110 kcal·kg^?1·day^?1 depending on the estimation approach. Two current therapeutic feeding protocols were found to provide an excess of energy after the first week of treatment in our study population, whereas four research protocols tended to provide less energy than the estimated requirement after the first week of treatment. Alternative feeding protocols have the potential to simplify and lead to important savings for programmes but should be evaluated to show adequacy to meet the energy needs of children under treatment, as well as feasibility and cost efficiency. Our findings rely on theoretical calculations based on several assumptions and should be confirmed in field studies.     

2000年与2010年盐城市中小学生生长发育及营养状况分析

目的 了解盐城市中小学生生长发育及营养状况,为促进中小学生正常生长发育,预防控制中小学生营养不良、超重肥胖提供科学依据。方法 以2000年、2010年分层随机整群抽取盐城市4所、6所城乡中小学6～18岁中小学生体质健康调研数据为资料,采用《中国6～19岁学龄儿童少年分年龄BMI筛查消瘦界值》、《中国儿童青少年超重、肥胖筛查的BMI分类标准》作为评价营养状况标准,对身高、体重和营养状况进行统计分析。结果 盐城市2000年调查的中小学生中超重率3.3%(79/2 394),肥胖率0.0%(0/2 394),营养不良率10.9%(262/2 394)。2010年调查的中小学生中超重率14.5%(765/5 269),肥胖率7.5%(396/5 269),营养不良率3.3%(191/5 749),10年来盐城市中小学生城男、城女、乡男、乡女的身高、体重分别增长5.49 cm、4.66 cm、5.73 cm、4.87 cm和8.85 kg、4.82 kg、7.97 kg、5.45 kg,生长发育时间有所提前。结论 盐城市中小学生营养状况从2000年的营养不良为主转变为2010年以超重、肥胖为主、营养不良较轻,应对不同学习阶段学生采取多种措施,预防控制学生超重、肥胖的发生。     

Seasonal trends and maternal characteristics as predictors of maternal undernutrition and low birthweight in Eastern Maharashtra,India

Few studies have assessed whether women and infants in rural and peri‐urban communities in South Asia experience seasonal fluctuations in nutritional status; however, a handful of studies have documented seasonal variability in risk factors for undernutrition including food availability, physical activity and infections. We used data from the Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) registry, a population‐based pregnancy and birth registry in Eastern Maharashtra, India, to analyse seasonal trends in birthweight and maternal nutritional status—body mass index (BMI) and haemoglobin—in the first trimester of pregnancy. We plotted monthly and seasonal trends in birthweight, and maternal BMI and haemoglobin, and used multivariable regression models to identify seasonal and maternal characteristics that predicted each outcome. Between October 2014 and January 2018, MNH included 29,253 livebirths with recorded birthweight. BMI was assessed in 15,252 women less than 12 weeks of gestation and haemoglobin in 18,278 women less than 13 weeks of gestation. Maternal characteristics (age, education, parity and height) were significantly associated with nutritional status; however, there were minimal seasonal fluctuations in birthweight or maternal nutrition. There were significant secular trends in maternal haemoglobin; between 2014 and 2018, the prevalence of maternal anaemia decreased from 91% to 79% and moderate or severe anaemia from 53% to 37%. The prevalence of maternal underweight (45.3%) and overweight (9.8%) and low birthweight (19.1%) remained relatively constant over the study period. Our findings highlight that in some rural and peri‐urban areas in South Asia, tackling systemic drivers of malnutrition may be more effective than targeted interventions based on season.