Hussain Sijjad, Naveed Muhammad, Sharif Muhammad Asad, Tahir Anum, Raza Hafiz Muhammad Zeeshan
Pediatrics, Tehsil Headquarter (THQ) Hospital Chichawatni, Chichawatni, PAK.
Pediatrics, University College of Medicine and Dentistry (UCMD) Lahore, The University of Lahore, Lahore, PAK.
Cureus. 2025 Apr 7;17(4):e81820. doi: 10.7759/cureus.81820. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Malnutrition remains a significant public health challenge, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan, where it adversely affects child health and development. The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized the importance of addressing malnutrition through community-based interventions.
The primary objective of this research is to compare the frequency of malnutrition among children whose mothers consumed fortified food during pregnancy versus those who did not, thereby assessing the effectiveness of fortified food under the "Mamta" nutrition program.
A comparative cross-sectional study design was employed, involving 100 children aged six to nine months, divided into two groups: 50 children whose mothers consumed fortified foods (fortified group) and 50 whose mothers did not (non-fortified group). Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to mothers, capturing demographic information, dietary intake during pregnancy, and anthropometric measurements of the children, including weight, height, and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). The prevalence of malnutrition was assessed using WHO growth standards, and statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26 (Released 2019; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York), including chi-square tests to compare malnutrition rates and multivariate logistic regression to adjust for confounding factors.
The study revealed significant differences in nutritional outcomes between the two groups. In the fortified group, 64% of children had a MUAC in the 11-13 cm range, while only 22% of the non-fortified group fell within this range (p=0.003). Additionally, 50% of children in the fortified group weighed over 7 kg compared to 52% in the non-fortified group, indicating a slight advantage in weight but statistically significant (p=0.001). The prevalence of underweight was notably lower in the fortified group, with only 10% classified as underweight compared to 12% in the non-fortified group. Overall, the fortified group demonstrated better anthropometric measurements, with a higher percentage of children achieving healthier weight and MUAC measurements, confirming the positive impact of maternal fortified food intake on child nutrition.
This research provides strong evidence that maternal consumption of fortified foods during pregnancy significantly enhances the nutritional status of children. The results underscore the importance of the "Mamta" nutrition program in breaking the cycle of malnutrition and improving early childhood development. However, the study was conducted at a single hospital, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to broader populations in Pakistan. A larger and more diverse sample would be necessary to account for potential regional differences in dietary practices, access to fortified foods, and socioeconomic disparities.
营养不良仍然是一项重大的公共卫生挑战，尤其是在巴基斯坦等发展中国家，它对儿童健康和发育产生不利影响。世界卫生组织（WHO）强调了通过社区干预措施解决营养不良问题的重要性。
本研究的主要目的是比较母亲在孕期食用强化食品的儿童与未食用强化食品的儿童之间营养不良的发生率，从而评估“Mamta”营养计划下强化食品的有效性。
采用比较性横断面研究设计，涉及100名6至9个月大的儿童，分为两组：50名母亲食用强化食品的儿童（强化组）和50名母亲未食用强化食品的儿童（非强化组）。通过向母亲发放结构化问卷收集数据，获取人口统计学信息、孕期饮食摄入量以及儿童的人体测量数据，包括体重、身高和上臂中部周长（MUAC）。使用WHO生长标准评估营养不良的患病率，并使用IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows，版本26（2019年发布；IBM公司，纽约州阿蒙克）进行统计分析，包括卡方检验以比较营养不良率，以及多变量逻辑回归以调整混杂因素。
研究揭示了两组在营养结果方面存在显著差异。在强化组中，64%的儿童MUAC在11至13厘米范围内，而非强化组只有22%的儿童在此范围内（p = 0.003）。此外，强化组中有50%的儿童体重超过7千克，非强化组为52%，表明在体重方面有轻微优势但具有统计学意义（p = 0.001）。强化组中体重不足的患病率明显较低，只有10%被归类为体重不足，而非强化组为12%。总体而言，强化组的人体测量指标更好，有更高比例的儿童达到更健康的体重和MUAC测量值，证实了母亲摄入强化食品对儿童营养的积极影响。
本研究提供了有力证据，表明母亲在孕期食用强化食品可显著提高儿童的营养状况。研究结果强调了“Mamta”营养计划在打破营养不良循环和改善幼儿发育方面的重要性。然而，该研究是在一家单一医院进行的，这可能会限制研究结果对巴基斯坦更广泛人群的普遍性。需要更大且更多样化的样本，以考虑饮食模式、强化食品获取情况和社会经济差异等潜在的地区差异。
