Early supplementary feeding, child development, and health policy

Abstract

The authors carried out a meta-analysis of six field studies that assessed the effects of supplementary feeding on infants' performance on mental and motor development scales - conducted in nutritionally at-risk populations in Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Jamaica, Taiwan, and the United States - which showed that early high energy and protein supplementary feeding has a beneficial effect on motor development in young infants (8-15 months old) and on both motor and mental development in older infants (18-24 months old) who are nutritionally at risk. These findings provide justification for food assistance programmes targeted to young at-risk children. However, positive findings in field studies do not guarantee that similar results will be achieved by large-scale programmes, as complex bureaucracies and inadequate infrastructure are often obstacles to success. -Authors