Poor nutrition slowing child development
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., March 6 (UPI) — Poor nutrition and a lack of intellectual stimulation has slowed development in 200 million children worldwide, says a U.S. study.
Study leader Theodore Wachs, a professor of psychological sciences at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., said the analysis did not look at genetic causes of slow development, only preventable risks. Poor nutrition can causes iodine and iron deficiencies, for instance.
The study, the second in a three-part series published in The Lancet, aims to identify the scope, causes and current prevention efforts regarding the loss of developmental potential among children in countries from Brazil to Vietnam.
Growth stunting was found to affect as many as 40 percent to 50 percent of children under age 5 in some developing countries.
“Stunted or undernourished children often show more apathy, lower levels of play and more insecure attachment issues than their healthy peers,” Wachs said in a statement. “We found conduct problems coupled with poor attention and social relationships.” For more information, visit www.upi.com
