WHO: Stunted growth - Chapter 3: It has consequences

Summary

This video script explores the profound impact of childhood stunting on health, development, and economic outcomes, particularly for women. Stunting increases the risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery and can lead to lifelong cognitive and physical impairments. It perpetuates the cycle of poverty, with stunted individuals earning less, having lower educational attainment, and facing higher health costs. The consequences extend to national development, with economic losses due to decreased productivity and increased healthcare expenditures. The script highlights how early stunting leads to long-term health and economic disparities, affecting not just individuals but entire communities.

Takeaways

• 😀 Stunting in childhood is a direct risk factor for complications during pregnancy and delivery, as well as for infant survival.
• 😀 Poor nutrition and frequent infections create a vicious cycle of worsening health for children, impairing their nutritional status and increasing their susceptibility to diseases.
• 😀 Infection negatively impacts a child's nutritional status by reducing appetite, energy, and nutrient absorption while diverting nutrients toward immune response.
• 😀 Stunting can severely impact the development of a child's brain, affecting their ability to learn and process information when they start school.
• 😀 Children who are stunted have lower performance in cognitive abilities such as attention, fluency, and working memory.
• 😀 Stunting increases household health expenses and can lead to financial difficulties, especially when a family member has to stay home to care for a sick child, impacting their ability to work or attend school.
• 😀 Stunting has long-term consequences on national development by contributing to health and economic issues throughout an individual's life and across generations.
• 😀 Individuals who are stunted at age 2 are more likely to remain stunted into adulthood, with adult height differences of 6 to 9 cm observed in previous studies.
• 😀 Women with adult height below 145 cm due to stunting face a higher risk of mortality during delivery due to complications like obstructed labor or birth asphyxia.
• 😀 Childhood stunting increases the risk of chronic diseases later in life, especially if a person gains weight rapidly after the age of 2 to 3 years.
• 😀 Stunting has significant economic impacts, as individuals who were stunted as children tend to earn 20% less in wages compared to non-stunted individuals, contributing to substantial GDP losses.

Q & A

What is childhood stunting, and how does it affect women's health during pregnancy?

Childhood stunting refers to impaired growth and development in children due to poor nutrition and frequent infections. For women, stunting is a direct risk factor for complications during pregnancy and delivery, including obstructed labor and the risk of infant mortality.

How does poor nutrition and frequent infections interact to affect a child's health?

Poor nutrition and frequent infections create a vicious cycle. Poor nutrition leads to reduced appetite and less nutrient absorption, while infections impair nutritional status, diverting energy from growth to immune responses, making the child more susceptible to further infections.

What long-term cognitive effects does stunting have on a child?

Stunted children begin school with reduced cognitive abilities, including lower scores in attention, fluency, and working memory. The effects of stunting on cognitive development persist, impacting their ability to learn and process information.

How does stunting contribute to increased household health expenditures?

Infections and diseases associated with stunting lead to increased healthcare costs for families. Additionally, the cost is compounded when family members must stay at home to care for the sick child, leading to lost wages and reduced school attendance.

What are the broader societal consequences of stunting?

Stunting has long-term impacts on national development, contributing to health and economic consequences throughout the life cycle. It perpetuates poverty and malnutrition, ultimately affecting economic productivity and leading to higher costs for healthcare and education.

How does stunting at a young age affect adult height and health outcomes?

Children who experience stunting are more likely to grow up to be stunted adults. Stunting in childhood is associated with lower adult height and increased risks of complications during childbirth, such as obstructed labor or birth asphyxia, as well as a higher risk of chronic diseases in later life.

What is the relationship between stunting and cognitive ability in adulthood?

Adults who were stunted as children tend to perform worse on cognitive tests, with lower scores in vocabulary and nonverbal abilities. The early impairment of brain development caused by stunting continues to affect intellectual capacity in adulthood.

How does stunting impact educational outcomes?

Stunted children tend to have lower educational attainment. Studies show that stunted individuals complete about one year less of schooling than non-stunted individuals, which can affect their lifelong economic opportunities.

What are the economic consequences of stunting at the national level?

Stunting leads to significant economic losses, including reduced productivity and increased healthcare costs. The World Bank estimates that a 1% loss in adult height due to childhood stunting is linked to a 1.4% loss in economic productivity.

How does stunting affect the earning potential of individuals later in life?

Stunted individuals tend to earn less over their lifetime. On average, stunted children grow up to earn 20% less than their non-stunted peers due to the long-term effects of impaired physical and cognitive development.