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Knowledge4Policy
Knowledge for policy
Supporting policy with scientific evidence

We mobilise people and resources to create, curate, make sense of and use knowledge to inform policymaking across Europe.

  • Publication | 2020
Nutrients in Complementary Feeding Protect Against Wasting, but Not Stunting: Results from a Multi-Country Longitudinal Cohort Study
Global Food and Nutrition Security

The double burden of malnutrition in children is a serious global public health problem, as upwards of 155 million children have stunted growth, 52 million show wasting, and 41 million are overweight. Although stunting and wasting, relative to overweight, are at opposite ends of a spectrum, all 3 conditions are related to a poor diet and a poor transition to complementary feeding (CF) as an infant. The role of CF in childhood nutritional status is of importance, given that almost 30% of all children do not receive adequate CF at the appropriate age, and it is well documented that poor growth in childhood is associated with chronic diseases in adulthood.