Interaction Between Nutrition and Infection in Child Growth: A Complex Relationship

Child nutrition and infection are intricately linked, with frequent illness potentially impairing nutritional status and poor nutrition increasing the risk of infection. Scientists have long investigated the relationship between nutrition and infection, but the precise impact of infection on the effectiveness of nutrition interventions remains unclear. A recent study published in the journal Maternal and Child Nutrition aimed to review the evidence regarding this interaction, with a focus on child growth in low-income populations. The researchers found that physiological conditions associated with infections can impair growth by suppressing appetite, impairing nutrient absorption, and diverting nutrients away from growth. However, there is limited direct evidence that nutrition interventions are less effective when infection is common.

Key Takeaways:

• Frequent illness can impair nutritional status and poor nutrition increases the risk of infection, creating a bidirectional relationship between child nutrition and infection.
• Physiological conditions associated with infections can impair growth by suppressing appetite, impairing nutrient absorption, and diverting nutrients away from growth.
• There is little direct evidence that nutrition interventions are less effective when infection is common, and more research is needed to answer this question.
• Interventions that combine improved nutrition with prevention and control of infections are likely to be most effective for enhancing child growth and development.
• Diarrhea, a common infection, can have adverse effects on growth, but improving nutrition can reduce or eliminate these effects.
• The researchers found evidence from four intervention trials suggesting that improving nutrition can mitigate the effects of certain infections on growth.

Statistics:

• 7% of child growth is attributed to the impact of infections, with the majority of this impact occurring in the first two years of life (Maternal and Child Nutrition, 2011).
• Diarrhea, a common infection, affects approximately 1.9 billion people worldwide each year, with 829,000 deaths attributed to diarrheal diseases (WHO, unspecified date).
• Improved nutrition can reduce the risk of infection by up to 30% (Maternal and Child Nutrition, 2011).

Sources:

• Dewey, K.G., et al. (2011). Early child growth: how do nutrition and infection interact? Maternal and Child Nutrition, 7(2), 129-142.
• World Health Organization (unspecified date). Diarrheal diseases.