Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Systematic crises may disrupt well-designed nutrition interventions. Continuing services requires understanding the intervention paths that have been disrupted and adapting as crises permit. Alive & Thrive developed an intervention to integrate nutrition services into urban antenatal care services in Dhaka, which started at the onset of COVID-19 and encountered extraordinary disruption of services.

Opportunities and challenges in delivering maternal and child nutrition services through public primary health care facilities in urban Bangladesh: a qualitative inquiry.

Background: Public primary health facilities are an important source of nutrition services for the urban areas in Bangladesh. We aimed to understand the challenges and facilitators of delivering maternal and child nutrition services through public sector from the perspectives of the users and service providers.

Method: The study was conducted in selected public primary health care facilities and their catchment area in Dhaka city from April-July 2019.

Strengthening Nutrition Interventions during Antenatal Care Improved Maternal Dietary Diversity and Child Feeding Practices in Urban Bangladesh: Results of a Quasi-Experimental Evaluation Study.

Background: Bangladesh is urbanizing rapidly, facing challenges of malnutrition, low coverage and poor quality of urban nutrition services.

Objectives: We assessed the effect of integrating maternal, infant, and young child nutrition interventions, delivered at urban Maternal Neonatal and Child Health facilities, on maternal dietary diversity, iron and folic acid (IFA) and calcium consumption, and child feeding practices.

Methods: We used a quasi-experimental design with a nonrandom assignment of 20 health care facilities in Dhaka to intensive and standard service arms.

Factors affecting the micronutrient status of adolescent girls living in complex agro-aquatic ecological zones of Bangladesh.

Inadequate intake of both macro and micronutrients is the major determinant of micronutrient deficiencies in adolescent girls. This study assessed multiple micronutrient status including vitamin D, iron, vitamin A, and urinary iodine concentration among adolescent girls through two seasonal cross-sectional surveys conducted during dry and wet seasons. Mixed-effects linear and logistic regression analysis were conducted to assess associations between micronutrient status, salinity and seasonality.

Quality of nutrition services in primary health care facilities of Dhaka city: State of nutrition mainstreaming in urban Bangladesh.

Introduction: Despite high prevalence of malnutrition little is known about the quality of nutrition services provided through urban health systems. This study aimed to fill in knowledge gaps on quality of nutrition service provision at public primary health care facilities in urban Dhaka.

Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April-July 2019 in Dhaka City.

Using scenario-based assessments to examine the feasibility of integrating preventive nutrition services through the primary health care system in Bangladesh.

The National Nutrition Services of Bangladesh aims to deliver nutrition services through the primary health care system. Little is known about the feasibility of reshaping service delivery to close gaps in nutrition intervention coverage and utilization. We used a scenario-based feasibility testing approach to assess potential implementation improvements to strengthen service delivery.

Violations of International Code of Breast-milk Substitutes (BMS) in commercial settings and media in Bangladesh.

The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (BMS) instituted to protect breastfeeding against unethical marketing, has been adopted by many countries, including Bangladesh. Despite national adoption, evidence suggests violations occur and inadequate BMS Code implementation is an issue. The study aimed to assess violations of the International BMS Code and the national 'Breast-milk Substitutes, Infant Foods, Commercially Manufactured Complementary Foods and the Accessories Thereof (Regulation of Marketing) Act, 2013' of Bangladesh in commercial settings (retail outlets and media) in Bangladesh, for different types of milk, bottles, and teats using a standardized Network for Global Monitoring and Support for Implementation of the Code and Subsequent relevant World Health Assembly Resolutions (NetCode) protocol.

Provision and utilisation of health and nutrition services during COVID-19 pandemic in urban Bangladesh.

The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have profound effects on healthcare systems, but little evidence exists on service provision, utilisation, or adaptations. This study aimed to (1) examine the changes to health and nutrition service delivery and utilisation in urban Bangladesh during and after enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions and (2) identify adaptations and potential solutions to strengthen delivery and uptake. We conducted longitudinal surveys with health care providers (n = 45), pregnant women (n = 40), and mothers of children <2 years (n = 387) in February 2020 (in-person) and September 2020 (by phone).

Validation of an interviewer-administered seven-day semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for the dietary assessment of preschool children in rural Bangladesh.

A validation study of an interviewer-administered, seven-day semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (7-d SQFFQ) was conducted in Bangladeshi rural preschool age children. Using a cross-sectional study design, 105 children from 103 households were randomly selected. For the SQFFQ, a list of commonly consumed foods was adapted from the Bangladesh national micronutrient survey 2011-12.

Challenges and opportunities of integration of community based Management of Acute Malnutrition into the government health system in Bangladesh: a qualitative study.

Background: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children is the most serious form of malnutrition and is associated with very high rates of morbidity and mortality. For sustainable SAM management, United Nations recommends integration of community based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) into the health system. The objective of the study was to assess the preparedness of the health system to implement CMAM in Bangladesh.

Vitamin A deficiency and determinants of vitamin A status in Bangladeshi children and women: findings of a national survey.

Objective: Using data from the national micronutrients survey 2011-2012, the present study explored the status of subclinical vitamin A nutrition and the underlying determinants in the Bangladeshi population.

Design: A nationwide cross-sectional study. Settings The survey covered 150 clusters; fifty in each of rural, urban and slum strata.

An Assessment of the Potential Impact of Fortification of Staples and Condiments on Micronutrient Intake of Young Children and Women of Reproductive Age in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has experienced rapid economic growth and achieved major health improvements in the past decade, but malnutrition rates remain high. A nationally representative study conducted in 2011 assessed the dietary habits of 841 children 24-59 months old, 1428 children 6-14 years old, and 1412 nonpregnant, nonlactating women. The study's objective was to assess dietary intakes of key micronutrients and the consumption pattern of potentially fortifiable foods, and then to model the potential impact of the fortification of key staple foods.

Retraction: Leyvraz M. et al. An Assessment of the Potential Impact of Fortification of Staples and Condiments on Micronutrient Intake of Young Children and Women of Reproductive Age in Bangladesh. Nutrients 2015, 7, 9960-9971.

The published paper [1] contains errors that mean that the resulting analysis is incorrect and the conclusions are no longer supported.[..

Status of zinc nutrition in Bangladesh: the underlying associations.

Bangladesh is a country with a high burden of micronutrient malnutrition. Stunting affects 41 % of children aged under 5 years. Zn is one of the key micronutrients that is associated with stunting.

Determinants of iron status and Hb in the Bangladesh population: the role of groundwater iron.

Objective: Using data from the national micronutrients survey 2011-2012, the present study explored the determinants of Fe status and Hb levels in Bangladesh with a particular focus on groundwater Fe.

Design: Cross-sectional study conducted at the nationwide scale. Settings The survey was conducted in 150 clusters, fifty in each of the three strata of rural, urban and slum.

An Assessment of the Potential Impact of Fortification of Staples and Condiments on Micronutrient Intake of Young Children and Women of Reproductive Age in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has experienced rapid economic growth and achieved major health improvements in the past decade, but malnutrition rates remain high. A nationally representative study conducted in 2011 assessed the dietary habits of 841 children 24-59 months old; 1428 children 6-14 years old; and 1412 non-pregnant, non-lactating women. The study's objective was to assess dietary intakes of key micronutrients and the consumption pattern of potentially fortifiable foods, and then to model the potential impact of fortification of key staple foods.

An evolving perspective about the origins of childhood undernutrition and nutritional interventions that includes the gut microbiome.

The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science and the World Health Organization (WHO) have worked together to formulate a research agenda for nutrition science. Undernutrition of children has profound effects on health, development, and achievement of full human capacity. Undernutrition is not simply caused by a lack of food, but results from a complex interplay of intra- and intergenerational factors.

Nutrition of children and women in Bangladesh: trends and directions for the future.

Although child and maternal malnutrition has been reduced in Bangladesh, the prevalence of underweight (weight-for-age z-score <-2) among children aged less than five years is still high (41%). Nearly one-third of women are undernourished with body mass index of <18.5 kg/m2.