Global relevance of MGRS growth standards: the case of India.

The most common measures of childhood undernutrition are based on anthropometric measures such as height-for-age (stunting/chronic undernutrition) and weight-for-height (wasting/acute undernutrition). It is well recognised that the determinants of undernutrition are multiple, including food intake, dietary diversity, health, sanitation and women's status. Currently, most countries across the world including India use the globally accepted WHO-Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS) growth standards (2006) for the purposes of measurement as well as for evaluating progress on these metrics.

Hunger and food security in the times of Covid-19.

This paper discusses the situation of hunger and malnutrition in India during the times of the Covid-19, the associated lockdown and the aftermath. The economic slowdown and loss of employment have resulted in widespread food insecurity. There are also concerns that this might have long-lasting effects on the nutrition status of the population.

Outcomes of Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition in a Tribal Day-care Setting.

Objective: To describe the nutritional outcomes of children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in a village-level intervention.

Methods: This observational longitudinal study on 179 children aged <3 years was conducted in seven tribal blocks of Central and Eastern India with SAM managed in a comprehensive day care program.

Results: 76% children with SAM showed improvement over a 4-6 months period, with 37% shifting to normal anthrometric status.

Rapid Survey of Wasting and Stunting in Children: Whats New, Whats Old and Whats the Buzz?

Nationwide Rapid Survey on Children (RSoC), conducted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and UNICEF in 2013-14 showed a marked improvement in the status of the child malnutrition over the third National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) that was conducted in 2005-06. Despite some impressive gains in the anthropometric indicators of malnutrition, the absolute levels remain high, and of concern. Despite these gains, the feeding indicators remain stagnant.

Programmatic response to malnutrition in India, room for more than one elephant.

Programming platforms need to recognize the diversity of malnutrition epidemiology in India and choose appropriate implementation designs. With severe chronic malnutrition as the dominant epidemiologic entity, the net needs to be cast wide, focusing on food security, health care, agriculture, water and sanitation, livelihoods and womens empowerment. Community-based malnutrition treatment and prevention programs need to collaborate to complement treatment with socioeconomic and preventive interventions.

Screening for SAM in the community: is MUAC a simple tool?

Anthropometric data from our survey of 1,879 children in Madhya Pradesh revealed low sensitivity (17.5%) and positive predictive value (30.4%) of Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) at the recommended cut-off of 115 mm for identifying Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).