Folate and vitamin B status and predicted neural tube defects risk among nonpregnant women of reproductive age from the Malawi National Micronutrient Survey, 2015-2016.

Background: Maternal folate and vitamin B deficiency can lead to serious adverse pregnancy outcomes. There are no nationally representative estimates on folate and vitamin B status among women of reproductive age (WRA) in Malawi.

Objective: We assessed folate and vitamin B status among nonpregnant WRA in Malawi and predicted the risk of folate-sensitive neural tube defects (NTDs) were they to become pregnant.

A School-Based Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation Program Effectively Reduces Anemia in a Prospective Cohort of Ghanaian Adolescent Girls.

Background: School-based iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation is recommended for adolescent girls in countries with high burdens of anemia.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the context-specific effectiveness of a school-based, integrated anemia control program with IFA supplementation in Ghana.

Methods: Using data from a pre-post, longitudinal program evaluation, we evaluated the effectiveness of school-based weekly IFA supplementation in reducing the burden of anemia and increasing hemoglobin concentrations (Hb; primary outcomes) in 2 regions of Ghana.

Vitamin A deficiency has declined in Malawi, but with evidence of elevated vitamin A in children.

Background: Reduction of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in Malawi coincided with introduction of vitamin A-fortified staple foods, alongside continued biannual high-dose vitamin A supplementation (VAS).

Objective: We describe coverage of vitamin A interventions and vitamin A status in the 2015-2016 Malawi Micronutrient Survey.

Methods: Food samples and biospecimens were collected within a representative household survey across 105 clusters.

Investigating an increase in Florida manatee mortalities using a proteomic approach.

Two large-scale Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) mortality episodes were reported on separate coasts of Florida in 2013. The east coast mortality episode was associated with an unknown etiology in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). The west coast mortality episode was attributed to a persistent Karenia brevis algal bloom or 'red tide' centered in Southwest Florida.

Predictors of anaemia among adolescent schoolchildren of Ghana.

Anaemia is a public health problem in Ghana. We sought to identify factors associated with haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and anaemia among school-attending adolescents. We analysed data from 2948 adolescent girls and 609 boys (10-19 years) selected from 115 schools from regions of Ghana as a secondary analysis of baseline surveys conducted at two time-points.

Barriers to and Facilitators of Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation within a School-Based Integrated Nutrition and Health Promotion Program among Ghanaian Adolescent Girls.

Background: Anemia is a moderate public health problem among adolescent girls in Ghana.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the barriers to and facilitators of program fidelity to a school-based anemia reduction program with weekly iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation.

Methods: Authors analyzed directly observed weekly IFA consumption data collected longitudinally and cross-sectional data from a representative survey of 60 secondary schools and 1387 adolescent girls in the Northern and Volta regions of Ghana after 1 school year (2017-2018) of the intervention (30-36 wk).

Combined infant and young child feeding with small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation is associated with a reduction in anemia but no changes in anthropometric status of young children from Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo: a quasi-experimental effectiveness study.

Background: Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) are efficacious in controlled settings; data are scarce on the effectiveness utilizing health care delivery platforms.

Objective: We evaluated the impact of an infant young child feeding (IYCF)-SQ-LNS intervention on anemia and growth in children aged 6-18 mo in the Democratic Republic of Congo following a quasi-experimental effectiveness design.

Methods: An intervention health zone (HZ) received enhanced IYCF including improved counseling on IYCF during pregnancy until 12 mo after birth and daily use of SQ-LNS for infants 6-12 mo; the control HZ received the standard IYCF package.

Investigating the gene expression profiles of rehabilitated Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) following red tide exposure.

To investigate a Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) mortality event following a red tide bloom in Southwest Florida, an RNA sequencing experiment was conducted. Gene expression changes in white blood cells were assessed in manatees rescued from a red tide affected area (n = 4) and a control group (n = 7) using RNA sequencing. The genes with the largest fold changes were compared between the two groups to identify molecular pathways related to cellular and disease processes.

The Co-Occurrence of Overweight and Micronutrient Deficiencies or Anemia among Women of Reproductive Age in Malawi.

Background: In low-resource settings, urbanization may contribute to the individual-level double burden of malnutrition (DBM), whereby under- and overnutrition co-occur within the same individuals.

Objective: We described DBM prevalence among Malawian women by urban-rural residence, examined whether urban residence was associated with DBM, and assessed whether DBM prevalence was greater than the prevalence expected by chance given population levels of under- and overnutrition, which would suggest DBM is a distinct phenomenon associated with specific factors.

Methods: We analyzed nationally representative data of 723 nonpregnant women aged 15-49 y from the 2015-2016 Malawi Micronutrient Survey.

An Integrated Infant and Young Child Feeding and Small-Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplementation Program Is Associated with Improved Gross Motor and Communication Scores of Children 6-18 Months in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of an infant, young child feeding practices-small-quantity lipid nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) intervention on child development scores in children aged 6-18 months in the Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Study Design: We analyzed data of 2595 children from 2 health zones in a quasi-experimental design with preimplementation and postimplementation surveys to evaluate program impact on child development scores. Standard care was received in the comparison health zone and the intervention health zone received standard care plus enhanced infant, young child feeding practices with a monthly supply of 28 SQ-LNS sachets for up to 1 year.

Integrating micronutrient status assessment into the 2015-2016 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey: A qualitative evaluation.

Demand for national-level micronutrient status data continues to grow, yet little is known about the implementation of different approaches for collecting these data. We conducted an evaluation of the process of linking the 2015-2016 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) and 2015-2016 Malawi Micronutrient Survey (MNS). We conducted 24 in-depth interviews with stakeholders from the Malawi government and international agencies and field staff.

An integrated infant and young child feeding and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo is associated with improvements in breastfeeding and handwashing behaviours but not dietary diversity.

Integrating small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) into infant and young child feeding (IYCF) programmes can increase consumption of essential nutrients among children in vulnerable populations; however, few studies have assessed the impact of integrated IYCF-SQ-LNS programmes on IYCF practices. A 2-year, enhanced IYCF intervention targeting pregnant women and infants (0-12 months) was implemented in a health zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The enhanced IYCF intervention included community- and facility-based counselling for mothers on handwashing, SQ-LNS, and IYCF practices, plus monthly SQ-LNS distributions for children 6-12 months; a control zone received the national IYCF programme (facility-based IYCF counselling with no SQ-LNS distributions).

UNICEF-CDC global assessment of home fortification interventions 2011: current status, new directions, and implications for policy and programmatic guidance.

Background: Micronutrient powders (MNP) reduce anemia and improve iron status in children aged 6 to 23 months. Little is known about home fortification interventions in low-income and middle-income countries.

Objective: To describe highlights of the Global Assessment of Home Fortification Interventions 2011, new directions, and needed policy and programmatic guidance.

Relationship between markers of inflammation and anaemia in children of Papua New Guinea.

Objective: To assess the association of the acute-phase protein biomarkers, C-reactive protein (CRP) and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), with anaemia in children aged 6-59·9 months in Papua New Guinea.

Design: A nationally representative household-based cross-sectional survey of children aged 6-59·9 months was used to assess the relationships between various combinations of elevated CRP (>5 mg/l) and AGP (>1·2 g/l) with anaemia. Logistic regression was used to determine if other factors, such as age, sex, measures of anthropometry, region, urban/rural residence and household size, modified or confounded the acute-phase protein-anaemia association.

Formative research for the development of a market-based home fortification programme for young children in Niger.

The objective of this formative research was to assess the acceptability of a micronutrient powder (Sprinkles(®)) and a lipid-based nutrient supplement (Nutributter(®)), and to explore people's willingness to pay for these products in a resource-poor context like Niger. In four sites, 84 focus group discussions among mothers, fathers and grandmothers of children 6-23 months were conducted, as well as 80 key informant interviews of mothers who participated in a home study where their children 6-23 months were given either Sprinkles(®) or Nutributter(®) to use either for a period of 4 weeks, or they were given both products over the 4-week period, i.e.

Trends in low birthweight among the Bhutanese refugee population in Nepal.

Background: Although much is known about risk factors for low birthweight, an important cause of neonatal death, little is known about how to reduce or prevent low birthweight.

Objective: This study aimed to verify a low rate in the incidence of low birthweight reported in the Bhutanese refugee camps in Nepal and, if true, to try to understand how this came about.

Methods: Medical records from 1994 to 2001 were recovered for half of the refugee population, and birthweight and other maternal factors were analyzed.