Neurodevelopmental, cognitive, behavioural and mental health impairments following childhood malnutrition: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Severe childhood malnutrition impairs growth and development short-term, but current understanding of long-term outcomes is limited. We aimed to identify studies assessing neurodevelopmental, cognitive, behavioural and mental health outcomes following childhood malnutrition. METHODS: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health and PsycINFO for studies assessing these outcomes in those exposed to childhood malnutrition in low-income and middle-income settings. We included studies assessing undernutrition measured by low mid-upper arm circumference, weight-for-height, weight-for-age or nutritional oedema. We used guidelines for synthesis of results without meta-analysis to analyse three outcome areas: neurodevelopment, cognition/academic achievement, behaviour/mental health. RESULTS: We identified 30 studies, including some long-term cohorts reporting outcomes through to adulthood. There is strong evidence that malnutrition in childhood negatively impacts neurodevelopment based on high-quality studies using validated neurodevelopmental assessment tools. There is also strong evidence that malnutrition impairs academic achievement with agreement across seven studies investigating this outcome. Eight of 11 studies showed an association between childhood malnutrition and impaired cognition. This moderate evidence is limited by some studies failing to measure important confounders such as socioeconomic status. Five of 7 studies found a difference in behavioural assessment scores in those exposed to childhood malnutrition compared with controls but this moderate evidence is similarly limited by unmeasured confounders. Mental health impacts were difficult to ascertain due to few studies with mixed results. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood malnutrition is associated with impaired neurodevelopment, academic achievement, cognition and behavioural problems but evidence regarding possible mental health impacts is inconclusive. Future research should explore the interplay of childhood and later-life adversities on these outcomes. While evidence on improving nutritional and clinical therapies to reduce long-term risks is also needed, preventing and eliminating child malnutrition is likely to be the best way of preventing long-term neurocognitive harms. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021260498.

Manual para el manejo comunitario de la desnutrición aguda / Manual for community management of acute malnutrition

El Manual para el MCDA se enfoca especialmente en la identificación, el tratamiento y el manejo de la desnutrición aguda moderada y severa en niños y niñas de 6 a 59 meses de edad, en el marco de un abordaje comunitario e integrado al sistema de atención primaria de la salud. Para ello, brinda marcos conceptuales y teóricos sobre las causas y consecuencias de la DA, la fisiopatología y los fundamentos sobre los que se postula este abordaje. Aspectos prácticos en la implementación del MCDA y/o información más detallada, se desarrolla en los anexos. Como herramienta de apoyo para los equipos de salud, el Manual propone realizar un abordaje integral y continuo. Esto supone un tratamiento ambulatorio para la mayoría de los casos y uno hospitalario para los que presentan complicaciones, enmarcado en un sólido vinculo con la comunidad.

Alimentación complementaria para los niños y niñas menores de 2 años / Complementary feeding for children under 2 years of age

Las «Guías Alimentarias para la Población Infantil¼ (GAPI) fueron publicadas por última vez en el año 2010. Desde ese entonces, las modificaciones en el perfil epidemiológico-nutricional de la población, los cambios en los patrones de consumo de alimentos y las nuevas exigencias metodológicas para la elaboración de una guía de práctica clínica (GPC), hicieron necesaria su actualización, la cual se realizó siguiendo los lineamientos metodológicos del Programa Nacional de Garantía de Calidad de la Atención Médica. Las conclusiones alcanzadas se presentan en forma de recomendaciones referidas a aspectos de la alimentación diaria de los niños sanos menores de 2 años en cuya práctica el equipo elaborador, en su conjunto, identificó variabilidad. En cuanto al resto de las recomendaciones no abordadas en este documento, siguen vigentes de la versión anterior. Con esta Guía procuramos difundir ampliamente pautas para una alimentación saludable en este grupo de edad. Así, confiamos en contribuir a la reducción del riesgo, tanto de las patologías nutricionales por carencia (anemia ferropénica, desnutrición aguda y baja talla, entre otras), como de aquellas provocadas por el exceso (obesidad, enferme dades no transmisibles ­como diabetes tipo 2, enfermedades cardiovasculares, algunos tipos de cáncer y osteoporosis­), ya sea a corto plazo o bien en la vida futura de los niños, como adolescentes o adultos.

Brain MRI and cognitive function seven years after surviving an episode of severe acute malnutrition in a cohort of Malawian children.

OBJECTIVE: To assess differences in cognition functions and gross brain structure in children seven years after an episode of severe acute malnutrition (SAM), compared with other Malawian children. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal cohort assessing school grade achieved and results of five computer-based (CANTAB) tests, covering three cognitive domains. A subset underwent brain MRI scans which were reviewed using a standardized checklist of gross abnormalities and compared with a reference population of Malawian children. SETTING: Blantyre, Malawi.ParticipantsChildren discharged from SAM treatment in 2006 and 2007 (n 320; median age 9·3 years) were compared with controls: siblings closest in age to the SAM survivors and age/sex-matched community children. RESULTS: SAM survivors were significantly more likely to be in a lower grade at school than controls (adjusted OR = 0·4; 95 % CI 0·3, 0·6; P < 0·0001) and had consistently poorer scores in all CANTAB cognitive tests. Adjusting for HIV and socio-economic status diminished statistically significant differences. There were no significant differences in odds of brain abnormalities and sinusitis between SAM survivors (n 49) and reference children (OR = 1·11; 95 % CI 0·61, 2·03; P = 0·73). CONCLUSIONS: Despite apparent preservation in gross brain structure, persistent impaired school achievement is likely to be detrimental to individual attainment and economic well-being. Understanding the multifactorial causes of lower school achievement is therefore needed to design interventions for SAM survivors to thrive in adulthood. The cognitive and potential economic implications of SAM need further emphasis to better advocate for SAM prevention and early treatment.