Malnutrition and Nutributter

"What is Malnutrition?: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition essentially means “bad nourishment”. It concerns not enough as well as too much food, or the wrong types. There are two types of malnutrition that we typically see in the developing world: acute and chronic. Severe acute malnutrition , as is seen in Haiti, is defined by a very low weight for height, by visible severe wasting, or by the presence of nutritional oedema. In other words, these kids ‘look sick’. They look like they are wasting away.

Although acute malnutrition does occur in Guatemala, it is chronic malnutrition that is absolutely pervasive. Children who suffer from chronic malnutrition fail to grow to their full genetic potential, both mentally and physically. The main symptom of this condition is stunting - shortness in height compared to others of the same age group - and takes a relatively long time to develop.

Okay, so what? Why is it so important to prevent stunting in babies and toddlers? According to the World Bank, growth failure before the age of two can have profound and irreversible effects on a child’s ability to learn, and produce income over their lifetimes. It can result in permanently impaired IQ and social development, and makes a child more susceptible to chronic disease. These children start school later, quit earlier and miss more days in between. Furthermore, women who are stunted are far more likely to have stunted children. And, all of this is determined in the first 24 months of life. (read more)"

How do we fix this...Our infant and toddler feeding program of which nutributter will play a part

What is Nutributter?

Nutributter is a complementary food supplement that has been tailored to the nutritional needs of infants and young children (6 to 24 months old). It is a peanut and milk-based paste that has essential fatty acids and appropriate levels of vitamins & minerals to promote growth, motor development and aid in the prevention of undernutrition in young children.

"Nutributter supplementation for children 6-24 months of age is therefore ideally suited to prevent stunting. By introducing a high quality food and micronutrient supplement at 6 months, when infants should be transitioning to complementary foods, we can provide food security to the kids and prevent the decline in their length/height-for-age.

Another environmental feature which aggravates the onset of stunting in this age range is the exposure to contaminated water and food products, and the development of frequent bouts of diarrhea. Importantly, Nutributter delivers a daily dose of zinc, which has been shown in clinical trials to reduce the incidence and severity of diarrheal illness. Therefore, we anticipate that Nutributter supplementation will also impact diarrheal illness and interrupt the infection-malnutrition cycle. (read more)"

Why are we telling you about this?

Peter the wonderful pediatrician that sees our kids applied for a grant with USAID. He is bringing Nutributter to Guatemala and 350 of our kids get to participate in the program.