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Chronic malnutrition rates lower than the rate of acute malnutrition

This question was posted the Prevention and management of stunting forum area and has 4 replies.

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ennoline test

enn

Normal user

18 Apr 2016, 16:53

Are there cases when chronic malnutrition rates are lower than those of acute malnutriiton and what could be the explanation? thank you

Anonymous 577

Normal user

20 Apr 2016, 12:07

possibly in an extremely lean/emaciated and tall sample.

Bill Kinsey

African Studies Center, Leiden University

Normal user

21 Apr 2016, 16:43

Chronic undernutrition develops only with a time lag following periods of deprivation and acute undernutrition. Thus, if you assessed a population only recently exposed to severe food shortages, you would expect to find what you describe. Linear growth has not yet been affected but body mass has.

Tammam Ali Mohammed Ahmed

Nutrition Specialist/ Save the Children

Normal user

6 Feb 2017, 09:29

This may occur in normal situation where the GAM is below the emergency threshold levels and where stunting rate is also below the intervention threshold. So When there is acute crisis, disaster or an outbreak, so GAM will be rapidly increased while stunting is static and needs more time to be obvious. so the GAM/Stunting ratio will be increased in this case.
Best

Michael B. Krawinkel

professor

Normal user

6 Feb 2017, 10:23

The question about the prevalences of stunting and wasting is important: stunting occurs (and is reversible) at any age as long as growth has not finally come to an end. Wasting occurs often with a seasonal pattern, after catastrophies, and in association with diseases, e.g. TB and AIDS. Therefore, different 'rates' are to be expected.

In a study we could show that improving breastfeeding pattern is an effective approach to prevent stunting in the infant and young child: (free online available) Exclusive breastfeeding and its effect on growth of Malawian infants: results from a cross-sectional study. Kuchenbecker J et al. (2015) Paediatr Int Child Health 35(1):14-23.

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