Peer-reviewed article
Child Development and Nutritional Status in Ecuador
Lourdes Huiracocha, Adriana Monserrath Orellana-Paucar, Victoria Abril-Ulloa, Mirian Huiracocha-Tutiven, Gicela Palacios-Santana et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study measured development, nutrition, and feeding practices in 12- to 23-month-old children in Cuenca, Ecuador. Researchers found that 11.7% had possible developmental delay, 29.4% were stunted, and 25.3% were overweight or at risk of overweight. Children's complementary feeding was high in energy and protein but low in iron and zinc, with only 30.4% receiving minimum dietary diversity. The study identifies persistent nutritional and developmental challenges for Ecuador's child health programs.
Key points
- 11.7% of children aged 12-23 months had possible developmental delay
- 29.4% of children were stunted; 25.3% were overweight or at risk of overweight
- Children with developmental delay received significantly less iron than those with normal development
- Only 30.4% of children had minimum dietary diversity; 47.7% received nutrient supplementation
- Complementary feeding had adequate fat and protein but was low in iron and zinc
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional survey from one city in Ecuador (Cuenca) in 2013, so findings may not represent all of Ecuador or current conditions. The study describes prevalence of nutritional and developmental issues but does not evaluate interventions or identify causal factors.
Abstract
We assessed the development, nutritional status, and complementary feeding of 12- to 23-month-old children from Cuenca, Ecuador in 2013. Ecuador, an upper-middle-income country, developed a child policy in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. We collected cross-sectional survey data. Child development was assessed using the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness Guide–2011. The nutritional status was defined with WHO Child Growth Standards−2006. We investigated nutrient density, WHO Infant and Young Child Feeding Indicators, and nutrient supplementation intake of the complementary feeding. In all, 11.7% of children had “possible developmental delay,” stunting was identified in 29.4% of the children, and 25.3% faced overnutrition (overweight risk/overweight/obesity). The complementary feeding composition can be summarized as having adequate fat, high energy (MJ/day) and protein, and low iron and zinc. Children with “possible developmental delay” received less iron ( P < .05) than children with normal development. Overall, 30.4% of children had minimum dietary diversity. A total of 47.7% of children received nutrient supplementation. This epidemiological profile of infants remains a challenge for Ecuador’s health programs.