Currently, the World Health Organization does not recommend nutritional supplements for children with developmental delays. However, a recent study from the University of Copenhagen shows that nutritional supplements can reverse stunting. Due to undernourishment or malnutrition, more than 20% of the world's children under five years old are stunted because they are stunted for their age. Stunting, while not immediately life-threatening like famine, can have long-term adverse effects on a child's development.
A recent study challenges the conventional wisdom that nutritional supplements do not stimulate growth in children after the age of two, demonstrating that even older children with developmental delays can benefit from nutritional supplements and that plant-based proteins are as effective as dairy in this regard. The picture shows the measurement of children's growth. Image source: JackILewis, University of Copenhagen.
Often, these children fall just a few centimeters short of their potential - a sign that their bodies are growing sparingly to conserve resources. However, the physical height difference is only superficial. The condition also affects the normal growth of muscles and organs, hinders cognitive development, and affects their overall health and potential future prospects.
"The body is inherently nutrient deficient, which means that their bones and muscles do not receive the nutrients, especially minerals and proteins, they need for optimal growth," explains Benedikte Grenov from the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Physical Education at the University of Copenhagen. "This affects the health and fitness of these children throughout their lives."
Grenov is one of the lead authors of a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Copenhagen in collaboration with Makerere University in Uganda. The research challenges the way health authorities around the world, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), treat developmental delays in children.
Nutritional supplements have long been thought to be unable to stimulate growth in children after the age of two. Therefore, current initiatives aimed at using nutritional supplements to prevent stunting focus on providing small amounts of nutritional supplements to disadvantaged children under two years of age, and even these programs are few and far between. There are concerns that energy-dense supplements may increase the risk of obesity and the health problems associated with being overweight.
According to this new study, this idea is wrong. Researchers provided nutritional supplements to 750 children with developmental delays in Uganda over three months.
"In fact, our study shows that if children with developmental delays are not treated, something will go wrong. But if treated, the developmental disorders can be reversed, even in children over two years old. We succeeded in achieving this in the children who participated in the study. This may mean that children "The children will have improved living conditions as adults, become healthier and stronger, and have a reduced risk of lifestyle diseases," Benedikt-Grenow emphasizes: "We therefore hope that these results will help to change the thinking and therefore the recommendations for the treatment of developmental delay."
Plant-based protein is as good as dairy
One aspect of the research is investigating whether milk-based nutritional supplements are particularly suitable to help improve the lives of many children with developmental delays around the world.
While research results clearly show that milk-based nutritional supplements benefit children's healthy development, cheaper, more climate-friendly plant-based alternatives can be just as effective.
"Actually, we expected to see a difference because milk contains higher quality protein and certain micronutrients that are involved in promoting growth. But the difference we saw was so small that, scientifically speaking, it made no sense to talk about it." The researchers believe that the biggest difference is between children who receive supplements and those who do not receive supplements at all: "This has the positive consequence that nutritional supplements can be produced at a lower cost and in a more environmentally friendly way. Although the plant protein we use is a specialized type and requires specific production facilities, plant proteins generally have the advantage of being easier to produce on-site where the problem is greatest."
a very broad question
These advantages have proven to be important to the solution strategy. There are approximately 150 million children under the age of five with developmental delays worldwide, and any efforts to help them are economically and practically insurmountable.
Benedict-Grenov acknowledged that because the problem is so common, treating all children is virtually impossible. But for example, you could start by offering treatment to children who have severe developmental delays.
"The good news is that all children, including those with severe developmental delays, can reverse the negative trends and begin to grow fat-free mass, which is muscle and organs, when given supplements. In the long term, these children are stunted and often have lower IQs. So if nutritional supplements can be used for them in the first place, we would take "One way to do this," Grenov continued, "is to look more broadly at whether the diet of the average family can be improved with advanced multi-micronutrient 'vitamin' pills and more accessible high-quality protein. In fact, it is this mixture that is critical for optimal growth in children."
750 children aged 1-5 years from eastern Uganda participated in the study and were followed for three months by medical professionals, such as being measured and weighed. All children were moderately to severely stunted due to malnutrition.
Children were randomly divided into five groups:
(1-2) Two groups received milk protein supplements. One group also took a mixture of lactose and minerals called whey permeate
(3-4) Two groups supplemented soy protein. One group also took a mixture of lactose and minerals.
(5) The last group is the control group and does not provide food supplements.
These children continue to eat at home. However, supplements can meet up to half of their energy and protein needs, and all of their vitamin and mineral needs.
Households in the control group received laundry soap, all participants had their transportation costs covered by the clinic, and received food at the clinic as compensation for their participation.
Growth status of children in the control group remained poor
Children in the control group did not receive nutritional supplements, so their development continued as usual, which is normal for most children with developmental delays.
They continue to unfortunately grow, becoming increasingly stunted. It's also unhealthy that they gain fat mass, rather than fat-free mass (muscle and viscera).
Overall, they experienced negative gains in height and body composition, unlike children who received nutritional supplements. Children who received nutritional supplements not only grew taller but also gained lean mass but not fat.
Energy dense packet
The nutritional supplement used in the study was a lipid-based blend consisting of a blend of peanuts, milk or soy protein, a vitamin and mineral blend, and carbohydrates used as sweeteners. The texture is like marzipan and the flavor is sweet, similar to peanut butter.
The mixture comes in sachets without stirring to avoid contamination and can be consumed directly by children.