Feeding children just four teaspoons of a nutrient-dense dietary supplement a day can reduce their risk of mortality by 27%, according to an analysis of existing studies on the product’s effectiveness.
Nutrition experts have called for a global scale-up of the supplement, known as small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements, or SQ-LNS. The substance can address multiple nutrient deficiencies when added to a child’s regular diet to help avert the 45% of child deaths caused by undernutrition. Less than 30% of children aged 6 to 23 months eat a diet with the minimum diversity of food groups.
“We’re at this inflection point of incredibly robust evidence base,” Shawn Baker, chief program officer at Helen Keller Intl, told Devex. “Now how do we act on it? I’m just incredibly excited about the potential to add this to our suite of solutions to address child malnutrition.”
About the author
Teresa Welshtmawelsh
Teresa Welsh is a Senior Reporter at Devex. She has reported from more than 10 countries and is currently based in Washington, D.C. Her coverage focuses on Latin America; U.S. foreign assistance policy; fragile states; food systems and nutrition; and refugees and migration. Prior to joining Devex, Teresa worked at McClatchy's Washington Bureau and covered foreign affairs for U.S. News and World Report. She was a reporter in Colombia, where she previously lived teaching English. Teresa earned bachelor of arts degrees in journalism and Latin American studies from the University of Wisconsin.
