Adequate spacing between births can reduce the likelihood of stunting in children, according to a new study from the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI).
In an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, TCI postdoctoral partner Sunaina Dhingra and Director Prabhu Pingali find that differences in height between first-born and later-born children may be due to an inappropriate interval between births . When children are born at least three years after their older brothers, the height gap between them disappears.
India’s family planning policies have focused on reducing population growth and delaying pregnancy to improve maternal health outcomes. However, although the overall fertility rate has fallen as low as 2.1, little progress has been made in increasing the time between births. In 2015, about 60% of the women surveyed waited less than the recommended three-year interval between children.
A TCI study shows that a greater focus on adequate birth space in maternal and child nutrition policies and public health programs may help prevent stunting.
Our research suggests that properly circulating birth can significantly reduce stunting and the side effects it causes. Policymakers should ensure that family planning programs focus on allowing sufficient time between pregnancies, as well as reducing the number of births and delaying their birth. ‘first pregnancy. “
Sunaina Dhingra, Postdoctoral Associate, Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition
It is a sign of malnutrition, widespread stunting in low- and middle-income countries, with significant, lasting effects on children’s well-being. Beyond low altitude, stunting leaves children vulnerable to disease and at risk with lower brain capacity.
Known causes for stunting include poverty, improper nutrition, poor diet, poor maternal health during pregnancy and breastfeeding, teenage pregnancy, poor disease environment, and frequent illness. Much evidence also shows that birth order affects stunting, with children born after the first child at higher risk.
Using data from the fourth round of the Demographic and Health Survey of India conducted in 2014-15, Dhingra and Pingali confirm that birth order affects height when birth is less than three years apart, with a height gap rising between children born later. However, when the time between birth is three years or more, they find that the highest gain of children born earlier is important.
The interval between pregnancies affects maternal and child health in a number of ways. Maternal body needs time after birth to replenish key micronutrients, so getting pregnant again too soon can reduce the nutrients available to the fetus and prevent milk production . Getting children too close together makes it harder for parents to give each child enough time and resources.
Given the severity of stunting in developing countries and the severity of social and economic costs, special efforts have been made to prevent a worldwide outbreak. As a result, stunting has declined by 35% since 1990.
However, as of 2020, 141 million children under the age of five have been recorded as stunted, with global declines obscuring regional differences. More than 69 million stunted children live in South Asia, with the majority in India. Understanding the regional and local drivers involved in stunting can help reduce the frequency in such heavy countries.