title: The Potential Role of Mycotoxins as a Contributor to Stunting in the SHINE Trial.
abstract: Children in developing countries experience multiple exposures that are harmful to their growth and development. An emerging concern is frequent exposure to mycotoxins that contaminate a wide range of staple foods, including maize and groundnuts. Three mycotoxins are suspected to contribute to poor child health and development: aflatoxin, fumonisin, and deoxynivalenol. We summarize the evidence that mycotoxin exposure is associated with stunting, and propose that the causal pathway may be through environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) and disturbance of the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) axis. The objectives of this substudy are to assess the relationship between agricultural and harvest practices and mycotoxin exposure; to evaluate associations between mycotoxin exposure and child stunting; and to investigate EED as a potential pathway linking mycotoxin exposure to child stunting, to inform potential areas for intervention.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Prendergast
authors.affiliation: Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park.
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: Mduduzi N N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Mbuya
authors.affiliation: Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: Kuda
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mutasa
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Council, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kembo
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Stoltzfus
mesh_terms: D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D012107:Research Design; D012424:Rural Population; D015030:Zimbabwe
chemical_list: D009183:Mycotoxins
keywords: aflatoxin; deoxynivalenol; fumonisin; mycotoxin; stunting