The time to address undernutrition in infants and young children is now

  • Peter A Cooper University of the Witwatersrand
Keywords: undernutrition, infants, young children

Abstract

Undernutrition affects a large proportion of children in developing countries. Black et al1 estimated that, in 2005, 32% of all children under five years of age in developing countries were stunted and that 20% were underweight. Many factors are responsible for these figures, including maternal undernutrition, intrauterine growth restriction, lack of or inadequate breastfeeding, poor complementary infant-feeding practices beyond six months of age, and the interaction between undernutrition and recurrent infections. These authors estimated that maternal and child undernutrition was the underlying cause of 3.5 million deaths annually and 35% of the disease burden in children under the age of five years. While many countries have shown impressive reductions in under-five mortality since 2005, thus probably reducing these figures to some extent,2 undernutrition remains a major factor that is responsible for child mortality and morbidity.

Author Biography

Peter A Cooper, University of the Witwatersrand
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health University of the Witwatersrand and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital
Published
2012-11-07
How to Cite
Cooper, P. (2012). The time to address undernutrition in infants and young children is now. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 25(4), 162-163. Retrieved from http://sajcn.co.za/index.php/SAJCN/article/view/695
Section
Editorial