Effect of maternal nutritional status on children nutritional status in India

The focus of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 is to prevent all forms of malnutrition by 2030. In India, anaemia affects half of the pregnant women, adolescent girls and children. Anaemia puts women at higher risk of morbidity, mortality, postpartum haemorrhage, and poor birth outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight due to weak intrauterine growth. This study assessed the relationship between maternal nutritional status on children nutritional status in India. We used two rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS III & IV) data from women aged 15-49 years and their children age of 6-59 months for the study. The prevalence of anaemia in children was higher among younger, not educated, rural, poorest, currently breastfeeding and anaemic mothers compared to their counterparts in NFHS-III and IV. After controlling selected mothers' and children background characteristics, the results showed that 77% of higher odds (OR = 1.77, p < 0.001, 95% CI:1.68-1.85) and 92% (OR = 1.92, p < 0.001, 95% CI:1.88-1.95) of higher odds of anaemic children among those who were born to anaemic mothers in NFHS-III and IV respectively. Similarly, prevalence of stunted, underweight and wasted children was higher among underweight, not educated, rural and extremely poorest mothers in both the rounds of survey. After controlling for selected mothers' and children background characteristics, underweight mothers were more likely to have stunted, underweight and wasted children of 18% (OR = 1.18, p < 0.001, 95% CI:1.12-1.23), 57% (OR = 1.57, p < 0.001,95% CI:1.50-1.65) and 57% (OR = 1.57, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.49-1.66) in NFHS-III and 22% (OR = 1.22, p < 0.001, 95% CI:1.19-1.25) 64% (OR = 1.64, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.60-1.67) and 40% (OR = 1.40, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.11-1.19) in NFHS-IV. For effective resource allocation and utilization, the anaemic women and children should be the focus of targeted interventions for policy makers and programmers to address nutritional deficiencies to achieve Sustainable Development Goals in India.

Automated summary

The study highlights the relationship between maternal and children nutritional status in India, showing that anaemic women are more likely to have anaemic children, and underweight mothers are more likely to have stunted, underweight, and wasted children. Targeting interventions towards anaemic women and children is crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals in the country.