Markers of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction are Associated with Poor Growth and Developmental Outcomes among Young Children in Lusaka, Zambia.

Objective: To examine cross-sectional relationships between biomarkers of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), an acquired subclinical condition of the small intestine, and anthropometric and developmental outcomes among children in Lusaka, Zambia.

Study Design: Serum samples were collected from 240 children aged 27 to 35 months enrolled in a cluster-randomized trial assessing the effects of growth charts and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements on linear growth. Samples were analyzed using the 11-plex Micronutrient and EED Assessment Tool, which incorporates 2 biomarkers of EED, namely intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), a marker of epithelial damage, and soluble CD14 (sCD14), a marker of microbial translocation.

Predictors of Stunting and Pathway Analysis for Linear Growth among Children Aged Two to Three Years after a Trial of Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements and Home-Installed Growth Charts in Three Districts in Zambia.

Background: Globally, 148 million children aged <5 y are stunted, with risk factors varying by context. Our "Impact of Growth Charts and Nutritional Supplements on Child Growth in Zambia" (ZamCharts) trial observed persistently high rates of stunting in all treatment groups after 18-mo of intervention with monthly distributions of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) and/or installation of a wall-mounted growth chart in children's homes.

Objectives: We sought to identify determinants of stunting and height-for-age z-score in children aged 27-36 mo who participated in the ZamCharts endline survey (n = 1911).

Feasibility and acceptability of the Problem Management for Moms programme for improving maternal mental health in Zambia: an open-label trial.

Background: Psychological distress is common among mothers in low-income and middle-income countries, limiting their capacity to care for themselves and their children. This study aimed to test the feasibility and acceptability of an adapted psychosocial intervention for distressed mothers in low-resource settings.

Methods: In this open-label trial, we enrolled women living in Lusaka, Zambia, with high mental distress (>7 score on the 20-item Self-Reporting Questionnaire [SRQ-20]) and children younger than 2 years, who had previously enrolled in the ZamCharts early childhood nutrition trial.

Perceptions of roles of community healthcare workers in early childhood in Limpopo, South Africa.

Background:  As part of the Reengineering Primary Health Care initiative, the South African National Department of Health (NDoH) has committed to expanding access to home-based care provided by community health workers. The NDOH also prioritised Community Health Workers (CHWs) in their agenda to improve child development outcomes in South Africa. However, there is limited research on CHWs' experiences and knowledge of early childhood development.