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.
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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
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Worldwide, stunting affects an estimated 165 million children under the age of 5. Nutritional interventions are only part of the solution.
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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: Web Admin 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
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