REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1479850
Multi-Faceted Nutritional Interventions are Imperative to Reduction of Stunting among Children in Low-and Middle-Income Countries
Provisionally accepted- 1Global Medical Affairs and Research, Abbott Nutrition, Columbus, United States
- 2Nutrition Science, Abbott (Spain), Granada, Spain
- 3Global Medical Affairs and Research, Abbott Nutrition, Bogotá, Colombia
- 4School of Medicine and Public Health, Ateneo de Manila University, Metro Manila, Philippines
- 5Escuela de Medicina, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
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Worldwide, 1 in 5 children under 5 years experiences undernutrition; most commonly in in low-and middle-income countries. Inadequate nutrient and energy intake places children at risk of stunted growth, which is associated with delayed development, increased mortality, and reduced productivity in adulthood.We investigated global approaches for managing stunting in young children (ages 1-5 years) by reviewing research on nutrition-focused interventions and public health frameworks. Our aim was to identify components of effective nutritional care and monitoring.We screened 1,636 studies, reviewed 207 abstracts and full-texts, and included 9 studies for final analysis. These studies, conducted in China, Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Mexico (n=2), Peru, and Vietnam evaluated clinical outcomes such as anthropometrics and dietary intake. Most interventions included caregiver nutrition education (n=7), but none used routine and frequent nutrition screening; only 4 included frequent follow-ups, 3 assessed breastfeeding frequency, and 4 used macronutrient and micronutrient supplementation when indicated. Economic outcomes were reported in 4 studies, while process and clinical outcomes were commonly reported (n=7).Based on our review, effecting stunting interventions should include: (i) routine screening of every child for nutritional risk based on WHO and UNICEF guidance, (ii) caregiver-targeted nutrition education (iii) supplementation with macro-and micronutrients as needed, and (iv) regular follow-up to monitor growth and nutritional status. Although the evidence base was small, stringent inclusion criteria focused on community-based, multicomponent interventions. This highlights the need for expanded implementation research, particularly in under resourced regions. Comprehensive, multi-level strategies are essential to address the long-term health risks of pediatric undernutrition.
Keywords: stunting, Pediatric malnutrition, Program Evaluation, Child Health, Nutrition Programs
Received: 12 Aug 2024; Accepted: 14 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sharn, Oliveros, Lai, Sanchez, Villa-Real Guno and Rojas Montenegro. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Amy Richele Sharn, Global Medical Affairs and Research, Abbott Nutrition, Columbus, United States
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