Nutrition morbidity interactions in pre-school children.

Background & objectives: Research studies in the 1970s reported that in pre-school children, undernutrition increased the risk of infections and infections aggravated undernutrition. Over decades, there has been a reduction in prevalence of undernutrition and improvement in access to healthcare for treatment of infections. A mixed longitudinal study was undertaken to assess whether over time there were any changes from the earlier reported effect of undernutrition prior to infection on the risk of morbidity and effect of morbidity on nutritional status in pre-school children. Methods: Pre-school (0-59 months of age) children from urban low- and middle-income families whose parents were willing to allow their participation in the study were enrolled. Information on sociodemographic profile of the families was collected at enrolment. Weight of all children and length in infants were recorded every month; length/height in children 12-59 months of age was recorded once in three months. Morbidity information was collected through fortnightly visits. Results: 3888 pre-school children were followed up in 74636 home visits. Among these children, underweight and wasting were associated with a small increase in risk of infections. The odds ratio for risk of infection for underweight children was 1.09 (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.16) and for wasting was 1.18 (95% CI: 1.08 to 1.29). The deterioration in Z scores for weight-for-age and body mass index-for-age in children during illness and convalescence was small but significant (P<0.001). Interpretation & conclusions: The increased risk of infections in undernourished children living in overcrowded tenements in areas with poor environmental hygiene was not significant, perhaps because the risk of infection in normally nourished children was also high. The deterioration in nutritional status following infection was small because of the ready access to and utilization of health and nutrition care.

Time trends in prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy.

Background & objectives: : The prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy in India is among the highest in the world. In the last two decades, several national surveys have estimated haemoglobin levels in pregnant women. In this study, data from these surveys were analyzed to find out changes, if any, in prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy. Methods: : National and State-level estimates on the prevalence of anaemia were tabulated from the reports of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2, NFHS 3, Fact Sheets of NFHS 4 and District Level Household Survey (DLHS) 2. Unit level data from DLHS 4 and Annual Health Survey Clinical Anthropometric and Biochemical component (AHS CAB) were obtained and State level prevalence of different grades of anaemia was estimated. Time trends in the prevalence of anaemia and different grades of anaemia were assessed from these surveys. Results: : NFHS 2, 3 and 4 reported relatively lower prevalence of anaemia as compared to DLHS and AHS CAB. There was not much change in the prevalence or severity of anaemia between NFHS 2, 3 and 4. There was substantial reduction in the prevalence and severity of anaemia in all States except Uttarakhand between DLHS 2 and 4 and DLHS 2 and AHS CAB. Interpretation & conclusions: : There was a reduction in the prevalence and severity of anaemia in the last 15 years. The two-pronged strategy of increasing iron intake (dietary diversification and use of iron-fortified iodized salt) in all the population and testing, and detecting and treating pregnant women with anaemia will accelerate the pace of reduction in anaemia.

Research priorities in Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health & Nutrition for India: An Indian Council of Medical Research-INCLEN Initiative.

In India, research prioritization in Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) themes has traditionally involved only a handful of experts mostly from major cities. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-INCLEN collaboration undertook a nationwide exercise engaging faculty from 256 institutions to identify top research priorities in the MNCHN themes for 2016-2025. The Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method of priority setting was adapted. The context of the exercise was defined by a National Steering Group (NSG) and guided by four Thematic Research Subcommittees. Research ideas were pooled from 498 experts located in different parts of India, iteratively consolidated into research options, scored by 893 experts against five pre-defined criteria (answerability, relevance, equity, investment and innovation) and weighed by a larger reference group. Ranked lists of priorities were generated for each of the four themes at national and three subnational (regional) levels [Empowered Action Group & North-Eastern States, Southern and Western States, & Northern States (including West Bengal)]. Research priorities differed between regions and from overall national priorities. Delivery domain of research which included implementation research constituted about 70 per cent of the top ten research options under all four themes. The results were endorsed in the NSG meeting. There was unanimity that the research priorities should be considered by different governmental and non-governmental agencies for investment with prioritization on implementation research and issues cutting across themes.

Food & nutrition security: challenges in the new millennium.

The World Food Summit in 1996 provided a comprehensive definition for food security which brings into focus the linkage between food, nutrition and health. India has been self sufficient in food production since seventies and low household hunger rates. India compares well with developing countries with similar health profile in terms of infant mortality rate (IMR) and under five mortality rate (U5 MR). India fares poorly when underweight in under five children is used as an indicator for food insecurity with rates comparable to that of Subsaharan Africa. If wasting [low body mass index (BMI) for age in children and low BMI in adults] which is closely related to adequacy of current food intake is used as an indictor for the assessment of household food security, India fares better. The nineties witnessed the emergence of dual nutrition burden with persistent inadequate dietary intake and undernutrition on one side and low physical activity / food intake above requirements and overnutrition on the other side. Body size and physical activity levels are two major determinants of human nutrient requirements. The revised recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for Indians takes cognisance of the current body weight and physical activity while computing the energy and nutrient requirements. As both under- and overnutrition are associated with health hazards, perhaps time has come for use of normal BMI as an indicator for food security.

Reproductive health, and child health and nutrition in India: meeting the challenge.

India, with a population of more than 1 billion people, has many challenges in improving the health and nutrition of its citizens. Steady declines have been noted in fertility, maternal, infant and child mortalities, and the prevalence of severe manifestations of nutritional deficiencies, but the pace has been slow and falls short of national and Millennium Development Goal targets. The likely explanations include social inequities, disparities in health systems between and within states, and consequences of urbanisation and demographic transition. In 2005, India embarked on the National Rural Health Mission, an extraordinary effort to strengthen the health systems. However, coverage of priority interventions remains insufficient, and the content and quality of existing interventions are suboptimum. Substantial unmet need for contraception remains, adolescent pregnancies are common, and access to safe abortion is inadequate. Increases in the numbers of deliveries in institutions have not been matched by improvements in the quality of intrapartum and neonatal care. Infants and young children do not get the health care they need; access to effective treatment for neonatal illness, diarrhoea, and pneumonia shows little improvement; and the coverage of nutrition programmes is inadequate. Absence of well functioning health systems is indicated by the inadequacies related to planning, financing, human resources, infrastructure, supply systems, governance, information, and monitoring. We provide a case for transformation of health systems through effective stewardship, decentralised planning in districts, a reasoned approach to financing that affects demand for health care, a campaign to create awareness and change health and nutrition behaviour, and revision of programmes for child nutrition on the basis of evidence. This agenda needs political commitment of the highest order and the development of a people's movement.

ICMR's tryst with HIV epidemic in India: 1986-1991.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) undertook screening of asymptomatic persons from high risk group with the ELISA test for HIV infection in 1986 and found that HIV infection has reached India. ICMR in collaboration with the central and State health services initiated the national sero-surveillance programme for HIV infection in 43 surveillance and five reference centres to determine the major modes of transmission and magnitude of infection. Data from the sero-surveillance showed that HIV infection was present in all the known high risk groups and in the general population in all the States both in urban and rural areas. HIV was getting transmitted through all the known modes of transmission. In most States heterosexual transmission was predominant but in Manipur intravenous (iv) drug use was the most common mode of transmission. Prevalence of HIV infection in high risk groups was not high and that in low risk groups was quite low. ICMR initiated hospital based sentinel surveillance in high risk groups and general population to obtain time trends in seroprevalence. Between 1986 and 1991, National AIDS Programme was carried out as a collaborative effort of ICMR, and central and State health services. As the dimensions of the epidemic unfolded, rational evidence based interventions which could be implemented within the existing health system, were initiated. National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) continued and upscaled all these interventions. Effective implementation of a multi-pronged, rational strategy for HIV infection containment and control right from the initial stages, and dedicated work done by committed professionals belonging to government and voluntary sectors, cultural ethos of the country, responsible behaviour of the population and relatively low iv drug use have resulted in rapid decline in new infection and in prevalence of infection within a quarter of a century after the initial detection of HIV.

Overnutrition in Indian Children: Challenges and Opportunities.

Global and Indian data indicate that children from all the segments of population face dual nutrition burden and related health consequences. Long-term cohort studies have shown that both the under- and overnutrition are risk factors for overnutrition and non-communicable diseases in adult life. Halting the rise in overnutrition is one of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets to be achieved by 2030. With the development and inclusion of body mass index (BMI)-for-age in the WHO child growth standards, it has become possible to assess over- and undernutrition in short-statured children. In India, the Annual Health Survey (AHS) (2014) and the District Level Household Survey 4 (DLHS4) (2013) undertook measurement of height/length and weight (AHS 557016 and DLHS4 295663) in the 0-18-year of school-age children from selected households. Prevalence of overnutrition in 0-18-year children was calculated from these two surveys by using the WHO standards for BMI-for-age (BMI-for-age z scores (BAZ) > +2 in 0-5 and BAZ > +1 in 5-18-year children) as well as uniform norms of either > +1 or > +2 BAZ across 0-18-year children. An attempt was made to explore the policy and program implications of using different norms for assessing overnutrition in preschool and school age children in the Indian context. Body mass index-for-age curve for the 0-18-year Indian children was calculated and compared with the WHO BMI-for-age curve. Across 0-18-year children, the mean BMI-for-age of Indian boys and girls was lower than the mean of the WHO standards, but the trajectory followed was similar. Therefore, Indian high-risk under- and overnourished children can be monitored by using the WHO BMI-for-age curve. Irrespective of the cutoff used for BMI-for-age, prevalence of overnutrition was higher in preschool as compared to school-age children. Overnourished school-age children outnumbered preschool children, especially if the WHO cutoffs were used. The school health system may find it difficult to implement programs that aimed at detection and management of large number of overnourished children. If uniform norm of BAZ > +1 was used, prevalence of overnutrition in preschool children was high and almost similar to undernutrition. Currently, nutrition programs for preschool children are focused on undernutrition and they may find it difficult to manage program focused on overnutrition in large number of children. If the uniform norm of BAZ > +2 was used, both the prevalence of overnutrition and number of children requiring intervention were relatively low in all the age groups. The existing preschool and school nutrition programs can take up an integrated program aimed at early detection and effective management of both the under- (BAZ < -2) and overnutrition (BAZ > +2) in 0-18-year children and strive to achieve the SDG targets.

Assessment of nutritional status in Indian preschool children using WHO 2006 Growth Standards.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: This study attempts to compare the pattern of growth of Indian children as assessed by weight for age, height for age and BMI for age with the WHO standards for growth (2006) and to explore the implications of differences in undernutrition rates in the 0-59 months of age group as assessed by these three indices. METHODS: From the National Family Health Survey-3 database, growth curves for height, weight and BMI for age in Indian preschool children were computed using LMS software and compared with the WHO (2006) standards. Using the WHO (2006) standards, trends in prevalence of undernutrition as assessed by height, weight and BMI for age in the 0-59 month age group were computed. RESULTS: During the first three months there was no increase in underweight and stunting rates. There was progressive increase in underweight and stunting rates between 3-23 months of age. Low BMI for age and wasting rates were highest at birth. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Poor growth is an adaptation to chronic low energy intake and stunting is a measure of cumulative impact of chronic energy deficiency on linear growth. It is important to prevent stunting because it is not readily reversible. Low BMI is an indictor of current energy deficit. Early detection of energy deficit using BMI for age and expeditious interventions to correct the deficit might be effective in prevention of stunting.

Setting research priorities on multiple micronutrient supplementation in pregnancy.

Prenatal micronutrient deficiencies are associated with negative maternal and birth outcomes. Multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) during pregnancy is a cost-effective intervention to reduce these adverse outcomes. However, important knowledge gaps remain in the implementation of MMS interventions. The Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) methodology was applied to inform the direction of research and investments needed to support the implementation of MMS interventions for pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Following CHNRI methodology guidelines, a group of international experts in nutrition and maternal health provided and ranked the research questions that most urgently need to be resolved for prenatal MMS interventions to be successfully implemented. Seventy-three research questions were received, analyzed, and reorganized, resulting in 35 consolidated research questions. These were scored against four criteria, yielding a priority ranking where the top 10 research options focused on strategies to increase antenatal care attendance and MMS adherence, methods needed to identify populations more likely to benefit from MMS interventions and some discovery issues (e.g., potential benefit of extending MMS through lactation). This exercise prioritized 35 discrete research questions that merit serious consideration for the potential of MMS during pregnancy to be optimized in LMIC.

Undernutrition & risk of infections in preschool children.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: It is well documented that in preschool children undernutrition is associated with immune depression and increased risk of infections; infections aggravate undernutrition. Underweight is the most widely used indicator for assessment of undernutrition for investigating undernutrition and infection interactions. In India, nearly half the children are stunted and underweight; but majority of children have appropriate weight for their height and less than a fifth are wasted. The present study was undertaken to explore which of the five anthropometric indices for assessment of undernutrition (weight for age, height for age, wasting, BMI for age, and wasting and stunting with low BMI) is associated with more consistent and higher risk of morbidity due to infection in preschool children. METHODS: The National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3) database provided the following information in 56,438 preschool children: age, sex, weight, height, infant and young child feeding practices and morbidity due to infections in the last fortnight. Relative risk (RR) of morbidity due to infections was computed in infants and children with stunting, underweight, low BMI for age, wasting and stunting with low BMI (< mean-2SD of WHO 2006 standards). RESULTS: Comparison of the RR for infections in undernourished children showed that the relative risk of morbidity due to infections was higher and more consistently seen in children with low BMI and wasting as compared to stunting or underweight. The small group of children who had stunting with wasting had the highest relative risk of morbidity due to infection. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: In Indian preschool children, RR for infection was more consistently associated with BMI for age and wasting as compared to weight for age and height for age. Low BMI for age and wasting indicate current energy deficit; early detection and correction of the current energy deficit might reduce the risk of infection and also enable the child to continue in his/her growth trajectory for weight and height.

School Mid-day Meal Programme in India: Past, Present, and Future.

The National Programme for Nutrition Support for Primary Education was initiated in 1995 with two major objectives: universalisation of primary education and improvement in nutritional status of primary school children. The Central Government provided 100 g of wheat /rice per day free of cost to children studying in classes I-V in all Government, local body and Government aided primary schools. Kerala, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Chattisgarh and MP provided hot cooked meals using the cereals provided but all other states and UTs provided 3 kg cereals/month to children with 80% attendance. By 2001, over 100 million students in 7,92,000 schools were covered under the programme. There was some improvement in enrolment but the programme had no impact on classroom hunger. In 2001 the Supreme Court of India ruled that Mid-day meal (MDM) is a legal entitlement for all school children and that the government should provide a hot cooked mid-day meal for 200 d to all primary school children. In the last decade, universal primary education and MDM have been achieved. MDM is providing hot cooked meals every day to about 100 million children. Cereal content of MDM is adequate but pulse and vegetable content of MDM are inadequate; these lacunae have to be addressed. School health services in co-ordination with MDM can identify under-nourished, normal and over-nourished children by using Body mass index (BMI) for age, and provide appropriate counseling and care. If this practice is institutionalized and routinely followed, there can be substantial improvement in nutritional status of children.

Poverty nutrition linkages.

At the time of independence majority of Indians were poor. In spite of spending over 80 per cent of their income on food, they could not get adequate food. Living in areas of poor environmental sanitation they had high morbidity due to infections; nutrition toll due to infections was high because of poor access to health care. As a result, majority of Indians especially children were undernourished. The country initiated programmes to improve economic growth, reduce poverty, improve household food security and nutritional status of its citizens, especially women and children. India defined poverty on the basis of calorie requirement and focused its attention on providing subsidized food and essential services to people below poverty line. After a period of slow but steady economic growth, the last decade witnessed acceleration of economic growth. India is now one of the fastest growing economies in the world with gross domestic product (GDP) growth over 8 per cent. There has been a steady but slow decline in poverty; but last decade's rapid economic growth did not translate in to rapid decline in poverty. In 1970s, country became self sufficient in food production; adequate buffer stocks have been built up. Poor had access to subsidized food through the public distribution system. As a result, famines have been eliminated, though pockets of food scarcity still existed. Over the years there has been a decline in household expenditure on food due to availability of food grains at low cost but energy intake has declined except among for the poor. In spite of unaltered/declining energy intake there has been some reduction in undernutrition and increase in overnutrition in adults. This is most probably due to reduction in physical activity. Under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme food supplements are being provided to children, pregnant and lactating women in the entire country. In spite of these, low birth weight rates are still over 30 per cent and about half the children are undernourished. While poverty and mortality rates came down by 50 per cent, fertility rate by 40 per cent, the reduction in undernutrition in children is only 20 per cent. National surveys indicate that a third of the children from high income group who have not experienced any deprivations are undernourished. The high undernutrition rates among children appears to be mainly due to high low birthweight rates, poor infant and young child feeding and caring practices. At the other end of the spectrum, surveys in school children from high income groups indicate that between 10-20 per cent are overnourished; the major factor responsible appears to be reduction in physical activity. Some aspects of the rapidly changing, complex relationship between economic status, poverty, dietary intake, nutritional and health status are explored in this review.

Maternal nutrition--effect on fetal growth and outcome of pregnancy.

During the first half of the 20th century, chronic energy undernutrition due to low dietary intake, repeated infections, and rapid succession of pregnancy were the factors most responsible for maternal undernutrition and consequent adverse outcomes of pregnancy. Efforts to improve dietary intake, treatment of infections, and provision of contraceptive care were the major focuses of intervention from 1950 to 1990. These interventions resulted in reduction in severe grades of undernutrition. However, there was no reduction in mild and moderate degrees of undernutrition and anemia during pregnancy and there was no significant improvement in the course and outcome of pregnancy, or in birth weight. During the 1990s, among the middle- and upper-income groups, there has been a progressive rise in obesity and consequent adverse effects. The advent of HIV infection in India in the 1980s will inevitably lead to increases in severe undernutrition associated with HIV infection in pregnancy and an adverse impact of maternal HIV infection on the fetus. Practicing physicians and nutritionists in the new millennium will therefore have to assess each person individually and provide appropriate advice regarding diet, exercise, fertility, and infection prevention and control in order to achieve optimum health and nutrition status during pregnancy and to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes.