Addressing the Cycle of Malnutrition
Malnutrition Threatens Global Health
1.2 billion women of reproductive age and 372 million young children are deficient in at least one essential nutrient.
Good nutrition is critical for maintaining good health. When a person does not receive sufficient nutrients from the foods they eat, malnutrition occurs. Malnutrition has serious, immediate, long-term, and intergenerational impacts.
When the Cycle of Malnutrition Begins
Malnutrition often begins during pregnancy. Without proper nutrition, pregnant women are more likely to develop anemia and face serious, sometimes deadly complications for themselves and their babies. Their infants are more likely to be born too small or too early, increasing the risk of mortality. Poor nutrition in a child’s first 1,000 days can also cause lasting damage to their mental and physical development, impacting their ability to learn, earn a living, and break the cycle of poverty and increasing the risk of chronic disease later in life.
The vital first 1,000 days window – from pregnancy through age two – is critical to increasing child survival, improving growth and development, and ensuring positive health outcomes for the mother. Significant nutrition vulnerability persists until a child turns five.
Causes of Malnutrition During Pregnancy
2 in 3 women of reproductive age worldwide have micronutrient deficiencies.
During pregnancy, a woman’s nutritional needs can increase by as much as 50% to support the physical demands of pregnancy and her baby’s growth and development. Often, these needs cannot be met through diet alone, especially in underserved communities that experience frequent food insecurity. In these low-resource environments, pregnant women often have the least access to nutritious foods, nutrition supplementation, and quality health care.
Malnutrition During Early Childhood
Poor nutrition contributes to about 45% of deaths among children under five years old.
Without access to food and proper nutrition, children are more likely to develop more slowly and suffer from all forms of malnutrition — overweight and obesity, micronutrient deficiencies, and undernutrition, including wasting and stunting — all of which have serious lifelong implications.
Additionally, a child’s brain develops faster in the early years compared to any other time in their life. Poor nutrition during this stage can lead to worsened health, trouble learning, and behavioral problems as they grow.
Proper Nutrition During the First 1,000 Days Has Lasting Impacts
The first 1,000 days, from pregnancy through age two, is a critical period when maternal, infant and young child nutrition is vital to child survival, optimal child growth and development, and positive health outcomes.
When pregnant women have access to healthy food and nutrition support, they have healthier, full-term pregnancies, and their newborns are more likely to survive their first year and be on track for optimal growth and development.
When malnutrition is alleviated, children’s immune systems can fight illness, grow strong, and do better in school. As children grow, the benefits of improved nutrition carry on throughout their lives and beyond, helping to breaking the Intergenerational Cycles of Poverty and Inequity.
Cycle of Malnutrition
Vitamin Angels Addresses the Cycle of Malnutrition by Increasing Access to Nutrition Solutions
Vitamin Angels strives for a world where every mother has a healthy pregnancy, and every child gets an equal chance at a healthy life. We focus on supporting nutritionally vulnerable populations during the first 1,000 days, when we can positively impact women and children’s health the most.
The essential nutrition solutions we offer support healthy pregnancies, improve birth outcomes, reduce infant and maternal mortality, protect young children from debilitating childhood infections, improve cognition and academic performance, and increase earnings across the lifetime.
We believe that everyone deserves access to the knowledge, support, and resources needed to eliminate malnutrition. That is why, in addition to nutrition solutions, we provide program partners with educational materials designed to encourage positive behavior change, technical assistance, and advocacy support.
Help Vitamin Angels to End the Cycle of Malnutrition
Be a part of our community where, every day, millions of mothers and children get a chance at a healthy start.
Become a Corporate Partner
Working with purpose-driven corporate partners, we offer companies opportunities to make a meaningful impact while achieving business goals.
Become a Program Partner
We are committed to strengthening, extending, and amplifying the impact of our program partners, who are already working to reach pregnant women, infants, and young children.