title: Current issues and priorities in childhood nutrition, growth, and infections.
abstract: Forty-five percent of the 6.6 million under-5 deaths in 2012 were attributable to infectious disease, of which pneumonia and diarrhea were the leading causes. Despite the close interrelation between these infections and nutrition conditions, key nutrition interventions for prevention of childhood diarrhea and pneumonia have not received deserved attention, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Several interventions and strategies can effectively address these issues but are not available to those in need. This article discusses in detail the burden and trends of global under-5 mortality, infections, and nutrition conditions; etiology and associated risk factors; biological plausibility and the interrelation between infections, nutrition, and growth; and existing interventions and strategies to reduce major childhood infections and improve nutrition and growth and implications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Woman and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Parkistan; and.
authors.forename: Rehana A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Salam
authors.affiliation: Division of Woman and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Parkistan; and.
authors.forename: Jai K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Division of Woman and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Parkistan; and Program for Global Pediatric Research, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada zulfiqar.bhutta@aku.edu.
authors.forename: Zulfiqar A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Bhutta
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends; D002657:Child Development; D046688:Child Mortality; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000639:trends; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects; D014943:Global Health; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D055552:Infectious Disease Medicine / Q000639:trends
keywords: childhood diarrhea; infections; pneumonia; under-5 mortality; undernutrition
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