New malnutrition study delays child development

Impact on learning ability and social behavior

If children suffer from hunger or poor nutrition during their first five years of life, learning will be more difficult for them when they move to school. Also, social development is often delayed, the results of a joint study by the Universities of Georgetown and Virginia in the United States suggest.

Almost one in five households in the US is affected by so-called food insecurity, the American scientists explain. This means that the children do not have enough to eat or that they lack quality food for a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

For the study, the scientists had accompanied children of 3,700 low-income households in the first five years of life. At the age of 9 months, 2, 4 and 5 years they evaluated the nutritional situation of the young volunteers on the basis of parent surveys. If there was a "food insecurity", the time was determined and the extent estimated. With the entry into the preschool the scientists made tests to the mental and social-emotional abilities of the now 5 to 6-year-olds. For example, they were given simple arithmetic and reading tasks and their social behavior; their ability to concentrate and to learn were examined.

The conclusion: When children are malnourished, their mental and social-emotional development is delayed. The timing plays a major role, the authors write in the journal "Child Development". In infancy and early childhood, malnutrition was significantly more harmful than in preschool age. When children experienced multiple phases of food insecurity, the negative effects of entering the nursery school became even more pronounced.

The brain growth is probably affected by the lack of nutrients. Frequently, affected children also show increased irritability and fatigue, which lowers performance. In addition, the financial difficulties can disrupt the parent-child relationship. That in turn would have consequences for social-emotional development. However, it can not be ruled out that other factors have influenced the mental and social abilities of children. This should clarify further studies. Nevertheless, the results are worrying. The authors are committed to providing appropriate programs to improve the nutrition of children in socially disadvantaged families. Heike Kreutz, bzfe