Peer-reviewed article
The Relationship Between Maternal Nutritional Status and the Incidence of Stunting: A Meta-Analysis
Tyas Aisyah Putri, Dinda Anindita Salsabilla, Tis’a Salma Muthi’ah, Tania Vergawita, Komisah Komisah ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This meta-analysis examined how maternal nutritional status during pregnancy affects stunting in children under five. The analysis of nine studies from Asia and Africa found that underweight mothers had a 22% higher risk of having stunted children, while overweight mothers had a 2% higher risk. The findings suggest that both maternal undernutrition and overnutrition increase child stunting risk. The study calls for targeted nutritional interventions for mothers to improve child growth outcomes.
Key points
- Underweight mothers had 1.22 times higher risk of having stunted children (p<0.001)
- Overweight mothers had 1.02 times higher risk of having stunted children (p<0.001)
- Analysis included nine studies from Asia and Africa published between January 2019 and July 2024
- Maternal nutrition during pregnancy plays a vital role in preventing stunting
- Both undernutrition and overnutrition in mothers increase child stunting risk
Limitations
The meta-analysis does not identify which specific nutritional deficiencies or excesses drive the increased stunting risk, nor does it examine the mechanisms by which maternal nutritional status affects child growth. The document does not report on the quality assessment of included studies or potential sources of heterogeneity across the nine studies analyzed.
Abstract
Background: Stunting remains a major global health concern, contributing to child mortality and long-term developmental consequences. Maternal nutritional status during pregnancy plays a crucial role in determining child growth outcomes. Understanding this relationship is essential for developing effective nutritional interventions to prevent stunting. Subjects and Method: This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the association between maternal nutritional status and stunting in children under five. Relevant studies published between January 2019 and July 2024 were retrieved from PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and BMJ. Data from nine studies across Asia and Africa were analyzed using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3. Results: The analysis revealed that underweight mothers had a 1.22 times higher risk of having stunted children, while overweight mothers had a 1.02 times higher risk. Both findings were statistically significant (p<0.001). These results highlight the critical influence of maternal nutritional status on child growth and the increased risk of stunting in both underweight and overweight mothers. Conclusion: Maternal nutrition during pregnancy plays a vital role in preventing stunting among children under five. Targeted nutritional interventions for underweight and overweight mothers are essential to improve maternal and child health outcomes. Strengthening maternal nutrition programs can significantly contribute to reducing global stunting rates.