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Micronutrient Supplementation and Fortification Interventions on Health and Development Outcomes among Children Under-Five in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Nutrients
January 1, 1970
Emily Tam et al. (5 authors)
Journal ArticleMeta-AnalysisSystematic ReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Vitamin A supplementation in reducing all-cause mortality among children under-five in low- and middle-income countries.

Results Summary

Vitamin A supplementation likely reduced all-cause mortality in children under-five. The study did not report adverse effects or specific safety concerns related to Vitamin A.

Population

Children under-five in low- and middle-income countries.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (11)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
iron alone
decrease
risk of anemia
children under-five in LMICs
-
reduced
#1
iron-folic acid
decrease
risk of anemia
children under-five in LMICs
-
reduced
#2
MMN supplementation
decrease
risk of anemia
children under-five in LMICs
-
reduced
#3
MNPs
decrease
risk of anemia
children under-five in LMICs
-
reduced
#4
targeted fortification
decrease
risk of anemia
children under-five in LMICs
-
reduced
#5
large-scale fortification
decrease
risk of anemia
children under-five in LMICs
-
reduced
#6
LNS
increase
stunting
children under-five in LMICs
-
improved
#7
LNS
increase
underweight
children under-five in LMICs
-
improved
#8
MMN supplementation
increase
length-for-age z-scores
children under-five in LMICs
-
slightly increased
#9
Vitamin A supplementation
decrease
all-cause mortality
children under-five in LMICs
-
likely reduced
#10
zinc supplementation
decrease
incidence of diarrhea
children under-five in LMICs
-
decreased
#11
Abstract

Micronutrient deficiencies continue to be widespread among children under-five in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), despite the fact that several effective strategies now exist to prevent them. This kind of malnutrition can have several immediate and long-term consequences, including stunted growth, a higher risk of acquiring infections, and poor development outcomes, all of which may lead to a child not achieving his or her full potential. This review systematically synthesizes the available evidence on the strategies used to prevent micronutrient malnutrition among children under-five in LMICs, including single and multiple micronutrient (MMN) supplementation, lipid-based nutrient supplementation (LNS), targeted and large-scale fortification, and point-of-use-fortification with micronutrient powders (MNPs). We searched relevant databases and grey literature, retrieving 35,924 papers. After application of eligibility criteria, we included 197 unique studies. Of note, we examined the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions. We found that certain outcomes, such as anemia, responded to several intervention types. The risk of anemia was reduced with iron alone, iron-folic acid, MMN supplementation, MNPs, targeted fortification, and large-scale fortification. Stunting and underweight, however, were improved only among children who were provided with LNS, though MMN supplementation also slightly increased length-for-age z-scores. Vitamin A supplementation likely reduced all-cause mortality, while zinc supplementation decreased the incidence of diarrhea. Importantly, many effects of LNS and MNPs held when pooling data from effectiveness studies. Taken together, this evidence further supports the importance of these strategies for reducing the burden of micronutrient malnutrition in children. Population and context should be considered when selecting one or more appropriate interventions for programming.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Anemia, Iron-DeficiencyChild Nutrition DisordersChild, PreschoolDeveloping CountriesDietary SupplementsFemaleFolic AcidFood, FortifiedGrowth DisordersHumansIncomeIronIron DeficienciesMaleMicronutrientsThinnessTrace Elements
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality90/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations128
Citations/Year25.6
Relative Citation Ratio10.61
NIH Percentile98%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.95
Weight Score2.14
Normalized Score0.72
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