Long-term nutritional intervention significantly improves growth and development in preschoolers

The researchers wrote, "In clinical practice, we recommend that nutritional intervention programs be formulated that can be implemented for longer periods."

A significant correlation exists between diet and delayed growth and development in children. However, there is no clarity on the crucial role of dietary interventions in children's growth and development health. Interventions, such as nutrition education and counselling, food fortification, micronutrient supplementation, and macronutrient supplementation, are recommended to improve the children's nutritional status.

Huiling Shi, Haikou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Haikou, China, and colleagues sought to comprehensively assess the effects of nutritional interventions on the physical development of children in a systematic review and meta-analysis.

For this purpose, the researchers retrieved articles published from 2007 to 2022 from online databases. Statistical analysis was conducted using Stata/SE 16.0 software and Review Manager 5.4 software. A total of 8 original studies were included in the meta-analysis. The total sample consisted of 6,645 children aged <8 years.

The authors reported the following findings:

• There was no significant difference in the body mass index (BMI)-for-age z scores between the nutritional intervention group and the control group [mean difference (MD) =0.12]. Thus, the dietary interventions did not significantly improve the BMI-for-age z scores.
• When the nutritional intervention period was <6 months, there was no significant difference in the weight-for-height z scores between the nutritional and control groups (MD =0.47). Still, when the nutritional intervention period was ≥6 months, the nutritional interventions significantly improved the weight-for-height z scores (MD =0.36).
• A nutritional intervention of ≥6 months cannot significantly improve children's height-for-age z scores.
• When the nutritional intervention period was <6 months, there was no statistically significant difference in the weight-for-age z scores between the nutritional intervention group and the control group (MD =–0.20), but when the nutritional intervention period was ≥6 months, the nutritional interventions significantly increased children's weight-for-age (mean difference =2.23).

The findings showed that a nutritional intervention implemented for ≥6 months significantly improved weight-for-height and weight-for-age z scores versus controls. However, there was no improvement in BMI-for-age or height-for-age z scores for any length of intervention or in weight-for-height and weight-for-age z scores in children who received the intervention for <6 months.

"Despite these findings, the review was limited because only two studies used dietary interventions lasting >6 months, which may have impacted results," the authors wrote. "Nonetheless, the study demonstrated that long-term nutritional interventions may positively impact some growth parameters in young children."

"However, further research is needed due to the limited literature included," they concluded.