Critical 1000 days: improving nutrition

This commitment targets mother and child days during the first 1000 days, as nutritional studies converge to emphasize that the first 1000 days of human existence, between conception and two years of the child, are decisive in terms of linear growth and development. Any deficiency during this period can have irreversible long-term effects.

Stunting before age 2 predicts poorer cognitive and educational outcomes in later childhood and adolescence, and has important education and economic consequences at the individual, household and community levels. These often-irreversible damages can be prevented by an upstream intervention to ensure good nutritional status of mothers during pregnancy, encourage exclusive breastfeeding and guarantee the good nutrition of infants and toddlers.

This commitment focuses on the 1000 days, and specifically on the mothers and children benefiting from a nutritional support during this period. Nutriset commits to reach as many mothers and children as possible through the development (manufacturing and increased accessibility of specific nutritional solutions), and the placement on the market of nutritional products.

For pregnant and lactating women:

In developing countries, inadequate maternal nutritional status is considered the main cause for intra-uterine growth retardation and subsequent low birth weight. Low birth weight (< 2500 g) is associated with higher risk of neonatal morbidity, and irreversible effects on child development.

Growing evidence points out that supplementation during pregnancy and lactation can improve maternal micronutrient status as well as birth outcomes.

Thus, it is crucial to ensure an optimal nutritional status of mothers-to-be as early as possible, specifically if the mother is at risk of undernourishment.

Plumpy'Mum has been especially designed to address suboptimal nutritional status in pregnant and lactating woman living in highly food insecure regions of the world. It provides a combination of multiple micronutrients as well as a good energy-protein balance, with the aim of having a positive effect on maternal nutritional status, birth outcomes and postnatal growth.

Enov'Mum has been especially designed for pregnant and lactating women whose diet may provide energy but lacks varied and nutritious food. This nutritional supplementation allows them to meet their daily requirements in main micronutrients.

These products can be distributed as part of a nutrition program through blanket feeding in at-risk area alongside other interventions, such as Behavior Change Communication (BCC) activities to improve nutritional practices, as well as obstetric care and at the time of regular antenatal care visits.

Child undernutrition reduction:

Ideally, infants should be breastfed exclusively until the age of 6 months. Beyond that, breast milk no longer provides all the energy and nutrients the child needs for growth. However, a healthy diet, in the form of quality complementary food, is not available/accessible in many countries. Thus, quality nutrients' supplement availability and access become essential to compensate for this deficit

SQ-LNS products have joined the list of world-renowned nutritional interventions to improve maternal and child nutrition. In addition to their effect on reducing mortality, a significant impact has been demonstrated in children on reducing the incidence of stunting, wasting, underweight, anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies.

The Lancet recommends, worldwide, supplementation with SQ-LNS to reduce child undernutrition.

The development of Enov'Nutributter+ stems from the research undertaken by the iLiNS Project group of which Nutriset is one of the founding members. Enov'Nutributter+ was specifically designed to ensure nutrient adequacy, including essential fatty acids and micronutrients, in resource poor settings where children's diet do not meet their requirements for a healthy growth and development, while simultaneously upholding breastfeeding and introduction / usual consumption of local complementary food for the infants and young children aged 6-23 months.

It is intended to fortify complementary food of young children aged 6 to 24 months at home.

The Enov'Nutributter®+ product compensates for nutrients' deficiencies of low-quality complementary foods. It provides proteins, micronutrients (minerals and vitamins) as well as essential fatty acids indispensable for an adequate growth and development.