Nutrition morbidity interactions in pre-school children.

Background & Objectives: Research studies in the 1970s reported that in pre-school children, undernutrition increased the risk of infections and infections aggravated undernutrition. Over decades, there has been a reduction in prevalence of undernutrition and improvement in access to healthcare for treatment of infections. A mixed longitudinal study was undertaken to assess whether over time there were any changes from the earlier reported effect of undernutrition prior to infection on the risk of morbidity and effect of morbidity on nutritional status in pre-school children.

Overnutrition in Indian Children: Challenges and Opportunities.

Global and Indian data indicate that children from all the segments of population face dual nutrition burden and related health consequences. Long-term cohort studies have shown that both the under- and overnutrition are risk factors for overnutrition and non-communicable diseases in adult life. Halting the rise in overnutrition is one of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets to be achieved by 2030.

Setting research priorities on multiple micronutrient supplementation in pregnancy.

Prenatal micronutrient deficiencies are associated with negative maternal and birth outcomes. Multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) during pregnancy is a cost-effective intervention to reduce these adverse outcomes. However, important knowledge gaps remain in the implementation of MMS interventions.

School Mid-day Meal Programme in India: Past, Present, and Future.

The National Programme for Nutrition Support for Primary Education was initiated in 1995 with two major objectives: universalisation of primary education and improvement in nutritional status of primary school children. The Central Government provided 100 g of wheat /rice per day free of cost to children studying in classes I-V in all Government, local body and Government aided primary schools. Kerala, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Chattisgarh and MP provided hot cooked meals using the cereals provided but all other states and UTs provided 3 kg cereals/month to children with 80% attendance.

Time trends in prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy.

Background & Objectives: : The prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy in India is among the highest in the world. In the last two decades, several national surveys have estimated haemoglobin levels in pregnant women. In this study, data from these surveys were analyzed to find out changes, if any, in prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy.

Research priorities in Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health & Nutrition for India: An Indian Council of Medical Research-INCLEN Initiative.

In India, research prioritization in Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) themes has traditionally involved only a handful of experts mostly from major cities. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-INCLEN collaboration undertook a nationwide exercise engaging faculty from 256 institutions to identify top research priorities in the MNCHN themes for 2016-2025. The Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method of priority setting was adapted.

Food & nutrition security: challenges in the new millennium.

The World Food Summit in 1996 provided a comprehensive definition for food security which brings into focus the linkage between food, nutrition and health. India has been self sufficient in food production since seventies and low household hunger rates. India compares well with developing countries with similar health profile in terms of infant mortality rate (IMR) and under five mortality rate (U5 MR).

ICMR's tryst with HIV epidemic in India: 1986-1991.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) undertook screening of asymptomatic persons from high risk group with the ELISA test for HIV infection in 1986 and found that HIV infection has reached India. ICMR in collaboration with the central and State health services initiated the national sero-surveillance programme for HIV infection in 43 surveillance and five reference centres to determine the major modes of transmission and magnitude of infection. Data from the sero-surveillance showed that HIV infection was present in all the known high risk groups and in the general population in all the States both in urban and rural areas.

Assessment of nutritional status in Indian preschool children using WHO 2006 Growth Standards.

Background & Objectives: This study attempts to compare the pattern of growth of Indian children as assessed by weight for age, height for age and BMI for age with the WHO standards for growth (2006) and to explore the implications of differences in undernutrition rates in the 0-59 months of age group as assessed by these three indices.

Methods: From the National Family Health Survey-3 database, growth curves for height, weight and BMI for age in Indian preschool children were computed using LMS software and compared with the WHO (2006) standards. Using the WHO (2006) standards, trends in prevalence of undernutrition as assessed by height, weight and BMI for age in the 0-59 month age group were computed.

Reproductive health, and child health and nutrition in India: meeting the challenge.

India, with a population of more than 1 billion people, has many challenges in improving the health and nutrition of its citizens. Steady declines have been noted in fertility, maternal, infant and child mortalities, and the prevalence of severe manifestations of nutritional deficiencies, but the pace has been slow and falls short of national and Millennium Development Goal targets. The likely explanations include social inequities, disparities in health systems between and within states, and consequences of urbanisation and demographic transition.

Nutrition and child survival in India.

India recognized the importance of improving the health and nutritional status of children, and initiated steps to improve access to nutrition and health services soon after independence. Over the years, the infrastructure and human resources for manning the health and nutrition services have been built up and currently cover the entire country. However these are inadequacies in terms of content and quality of services and undernutrition rates and under five morality rates continue to be high.

Undernutrition & risk of infections in preschool children.

Background & Objective: It is well documented that in preschool children undernutrition is associated with immune depression and increased risk of infections; infections aggravate undernutrition. Underweight is the most widely used indicator for assessment of undernutrition for investigating undernutrition and infection interactions. In India, nearly half the children are stunted and underweight; but majority of children have appropriate weight for their height and less than a fifth are wasted.

Poverty nutrition linkages.

At the time of independence majority of Indians were poor. In spite of spending over 80 per cent of their income on food, they could not get adequate food. Living in areas of poor environmental sanitation they had high morbidity due to infections; nutrition toll due to infections was high because of poor access to health care.

Maternal nutrition--effect on fetal growth and outcome of pregnancy.

During the first half of the 20th century, chronic energy undernutrition due to low dietary intake, repeated infections, and rapid succession of pregnancy were the factors most responsible for maternal undernutrition and consequent adverse outcomes of pregnancy. Efforts to improve dietary intake, treatment of infections, and provision of contraceptive care were the major focuses of intervention from 1950 to 1990. These interventions resulted in reduction in severe grades of undernutrition.