Title: Beyond Malnutrition: The Role of Sanitation in Stunted Growth

Charles W. Schmidt, MS, an award-winning science writer from Portland, ME, has written for Discover Magazine, Science, and Nature Medicine. Background image: WHO About This Article open Citation: Schmidt CW. 2014. Beyond malnutrition: the role of sanitation in stunted growth. Environ Health Perspect 122:A298–A303; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.122-A298 News Topics: Children’s Health, Diet and Nutrition, Gastrointestinal Health, International Environmental Health, Microbial Agents, Musculoskeletal Health, Drinking Water Quality, Sanitation Published: 1 November 2014 PDF Version (2.8 MB) Worldwide, stunting affects an estimated 165 million children under the age of 5. Nutritional interventions are only part of the solution. © Roger Parkes/Alamy Malnutrition in children can manifest in different ways; malnourished children can be underweight or obese, or their height can be stunted. Global health experts used to measure progress toward meeting childhood malnutrition goals on the basis of improvements in weight. But now stunting is the top priority. That’s because children who lose weight from a few days of being sick or hungry can readily gain it back, while the stunting that results from chronic malnourishment during early development has permanent consequences.1 More than merely a matter of appearance, stunting is a marker for an array of developmental problems, explains Reynaldo Martorell, a professor of international nutrition at Emory University. ...
Source: EHP Research - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Featured Focus News Children's Health Diet and Nutrition Drinking Water Quality Gastrointestinal Health International Environmental Health Microbial Agents Musculoskeletal Health November 2014 Sanitation Source Type: research