Peer-reviewed article
Understanding Stunting: Impact, Causes, and Strategy to Accelerate Stunting Reduction—A Narrative Review
Aisyah Tri Mulyani, Miski Aghnia Khairinisa, Alfi Khatib, Anis Yohana Chaerunisaa ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This narrative review examines stunting, a major health problem in low- and middle-income countries caused by chronic malnutrition during the first 1000 days of life. Stunting results from multiple factors including maternal malnutrition, inadequate feeding practices, poor sanitation, and poverty, and leads to impaired growth, cognitive deficits, and increased risk of chronic disease. The review identifies evidence-based strategies to reduce stunting, including improving maternal and child nutrition, preventing infections, enhancing water and sanitation, and addressing socioeconomic factors.
Key points
- Stunting originates from chronic malnutrition during the critical first 1000 days of life
- Multiple causes contribute to stunting: maternal malnutrition, inadequate breastfeeding and complementary feeding, poor sanitation, and socioeconomic factors
- Stunting is associated with impaired linear growth, cognitive deficits, gut dysbiosis, endocrine disruption, anemia, and increased risk of chronic diseases later in life
- Prevention requires multisectoral strategies focusing on maternal and child nutrition, infection prevention, improved WASH practices, and socioeconomic support
Limitations
This is a narrative review rather than a systematic review, so it does not systematically evaluate the strength of evidence for different interventions or quantify the effectiveness of specific strategies. The document does not provide detailed outcome data from individual studies or provide country-specific evidence for Indonesia and Malaysia.
Abstract
Stunting is a major global health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, due to its persistently high prevalence. It often originates from chronic malnutrition during the critical first 1000 days of life. Maternal and child nutrition are critical determinants of a child's growth and development. This article aimed to explore the impact, causes, and evidence-based strategies to accelerate the reduction of stunting incidence worldwide. This review was undertaken with sources from PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and MEDLINE from October 2024 to January 2025. This review was undertaken with sources from PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and MEDLINE from October 2024 to January 2025 using the keyword "Stunting", "Causes of stunting", "Stunting Impact", "Stunting Intervention", and "Stunting Prevention". The findings highlight the multifactorial causes of stunting, including maternal malnutrition, inadequate breastfeeding and complementary feeding, poor sanitation, and socioeconomic factors. Stunting is associated with impaired linear growth, cognitive deficits, gut dysbiosis, endocrine disruption, anemia, and increased risk of chronic diseases later in life. Addressing stunting demands multisectoral strategies focusing on maternal and child nutrition, infection prevention, improved WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) practices, and socioeconomic support. The evidence presented may guide policy development and targeted interventions to prevent stunting and its long-term effects.