To conduct a systematic review of the published peer-reviewed articles on the biochemical assessment of nutritional status of South African infants, children and adolescents in 1997–2022.

Online databases (Pubmed, CINAHL, EbscoHost and SAePublications) were used to identify thirty-nine papers.

South Africa, 1997–2022.

Infants, children and adolescents.

Vitamin A deficiency prevalence was 35–67 % before 2001 and mostly below 16 % after 2008. Anaemia ranged from 5·4 to 75·0 %, with 36–54 % of infants below 1 year being anaemic. Among 0- to 6-year-olds, iron deficiency (ID) was 7·2–39·4 % in rural and 16–41·9 % in urban areas. Zn deficiency remained high, especially among 0- to 6-year-olds, at 39–48 %. Iodine insufficiency (UIC < 100 µg/l) was between 0 and 28·8 %, with excessive levels in two areas. Vitamin D deficiency was 5 % for 11- to 17-year-olds in one urban study but 33–87 % in under 10-week-old infants. The 2005 national survey reported sufficient folate status among 0- to 6-year-olds, and vitamin B12 deficiency was 0–21 %. Low-grade inflammation was between 5 % and 42 % depending on the biomarker and cut-offs.

Vitamin A status may have improved meaningfully during the last 25 years in South Africa to below 16 %, and iodine and folate deficiency appears to be low particularly among 0- to 6-year-olds. However, confirmation is needed by a national survey. Anaemia, Fe and Zn deficiencies still pose severe problems, especially among 0- to 6-year-olds. Sufficient data on vitamin D and B12 status are lacking.

This study aimed to explore relationships between parental stress, coping, and outcomes for parents of infants with CHD, via observational approach reflecting domains of the Parental Stress and Resilience in CHD (PSRCHD) model.

Fifty-five parents of 45 infants with CHD completed questionnaires with measures of parental stress, Problem-Focused Coping (PFC), Emotion-Focused Coping (EFC), Avoidant Coping (AC), mental health (symptoms of anxiety and symptoms of depression), post-traumatic growth (PTG) and quality of life (QoL). Demographic and infant clinical data were obtained.

Parental stress showed significant small to medium positive correlations with MH and PTG, but no significant correlations with QoL. EFC and AC showed significant small to medium positive correlations with MH, and medium negative correlations with parental QoL. EFC and PFC had significant small to medium correlations with PTG. PFC and AC had significant small to medium correlations with infant QoL. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that parental symptoms of anxiety, PTG, parental QoL, infant QoL were significantly predicted by models comprising of parental stress, coping styles, and clinical controls (adjusted R2 = 13.0–47.9%, p range < 0.001–.048), with results for parental symptoms of depression falling marginally above significance (adjusted R2 = 12.3%, p = .056).

Parental stress, coping styles, and length of hospital stay are related to psychological outcomes in parents of infants with CHD. Future research may use the PSRCHD framework to assess mechanisms underlying CHD parents’ stress and coping experiences and investigate longitudinal relationships between parental factors and parent and child outcomes.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Baby Friendly Spaces (BFS), a psychosocial support program for Rohingya refugee mothers of malnourished young children in Bangladesh. Because BFS was already being implemented, we examined the benefit of enhancing implementation supports.

In matched pairs, 10 sites were randomized to provide BFS treatment as usual (BFS-TAU) or to receive enhanced implementation support (BFS-IE). 600 mothers were enrolled and reported on maternal distress, functional impairment, subjective well-being and coping at baseline and 8-week follow-up. Data were analyzed using multilevel linear regression models to account for clustering; sensitivity analyses adjusted for the small number of clusters.

Significant within-group improvements in BFSIE were observed for distres (−.48, p = .014), functional impairment (−.30, p = .002) and subjective well-being (.92, p = .011); improvements in BFS-TAU were smaller and not statistically significant. Between-group comparisons favored BFS-IE for distress (β = −.30, p = .058) and well-being (β = .58, p = .038). Sensitivity adjustments produced p-values above .05 for all between-group comparisons.

Feasible adjustments to implementation can improve program delivery to increase impact on maternal distress and well-being. Although results should be interpreted with caution, study design limitations are common in pragmatic, field-based research.

To assess the effect of daily egg consumption for six months on linear growth (primary outcome), weight-for-age, weight-for-length, mid-upper arm circumference-for-age, head circumference-for-age Z-scores, gross motor milestones development, anaemia and iron status (secondary outcomes) in a low socioeconomic community.

Infants aged 6 to 9 months living in the peri-urban Jouberton area, in the Matlosana Municipality, South Africa.

A randomised controlled trial with a parallel design was implemented. Eligible infants were randomly allocated to the intervention (n 250) receiving one egg/day and the control group (n 250) receiving no intervention. The participants were visited weekly to monitor morbidity and gross motor development, with information on adherence collected for the intervention group. Trained assessors took anthropometric measurements, and a blood sample was collected to assess anaemia and iron status. There was blinding of the anthropometric assessors to the groups during measurements and the statistician during the analysis.

Baseline prevalence of stunting, underweight, wasting, overweight and anaemia was 23·8 %, 9·8 %, 1·2 %, 13·8 % and 29·2 %, respectively, and did not differ between groups. Overall, 230 and 216 participants in the intervention and control groups completed the study, respectively. There was no intervention effect on length-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-length Z-scores, gross motor milestone development, anaemia and iron status.

Daily egg intake did not affect linear growth, underweight, wasting, motor milestones development, anaemia and iron status. Other interventions are necessary to understand the effect of animal-source food intake on children’s growth and development. This trial was registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ (NCT05168085).

Efficacy studies show early nutrition interventions improving infant nutrition status, but understanding caregiver acceptability is required for implementation of such interventions. This systematic review examines caregivers’ perceptions of nutrition interventions in young children.

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and PsychINFO from date of online journal inception through December 2020. Interventions included oral (powder/liquid/tablet) and/or intravenous supplementation, food fortification and nutrition counselling. Inclusion criteria included primary research, data presented on caregiver perception and studies published in English. Quality assessment was performed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Studies underwent narrative synthesis using inductive thematic analysis.

No restriction.

Caregivers of children under 24 months of age.

Of 11 798 records identified, thirty-seven publications were included. Interventions included oral supplementation, food fortification and nutrition counselling. Caregivers included mothers (83 %), fathers, grandparents and aunts. Perceptions were gathered through individual interviews, focus group discussions, questionnaires, surveys and ratings. Totally, 89 % of studies noted high acceptability (n 33 most notably increased appetite (n 17). In total, 57 % of studies (n 21) cited low acceptability, commonly from side effects (n 13) such as gastrointestinal issues, appetite loss and stained teeth.

Positive perceptions and enthusiasm for interventions were frequently reported. Key to implementation was the increased appetite noted by caregivers. A substantial proportion of studies reported negative perceptions, mainly due to side effects. In future interventions, mitigation and education around common side effects are crucial for acceptability. Understanding both positive and negative caregiver perceptions is important for informing future nutrition interventions and strengthening sustainability and implementation.

Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services (SPMHS) are a new development in Ireland. This service evaluation examined the impact of the introduction of a SPMHS multidisciplinary team (MDT) on prescribing practices and treatment pathways in an Irish maternity hospital.

Clinical charts were reviewed to collect data on all referrals, diagnoses, pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions delivered in a SPMHS over a 3-week period in 2019. The findings were compared to the same 3-week period in 2020 following the expansion of the SPMHS MDT.

In 2019 (n = 32) and 2020 (n = 47), most (75 and 79%, respectively) assessments were antenatal. The proportion of patients prescribed psychotropic medication within the SPMHS was not significantly different from 2019 (31%) to 2020 (23%), though more patients were already prescribed psychotropic medications at the time of referral (22% in 2019 v. 36% in 2020). There was an increase in MDT interventions in 2020 with more input from psychology, clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and social work intervention. Adherence to prescribing standards improved from 2019 to 2020.

Prescribing patterns remained unchanged between 2019 and 2020. Improvement was observed in adherence to prescribing standards and there was increased provision of MDT interventions in 2020. Broader diagnostic categories were also used in 2020, possibly suggesting that the service is now providing more individualized care.

Growth failure in infants born with CHD is a persistent problem, even in those provided with adequate nutrition.

To summarise the published data describing the change in urinary metabolites during metabolic maturation in infants with CHD and identify pathways amenable to therapeutic intervention

Scoping review.

Studies using qualitative or quantitative methods to describe urinary metabolites pre- and post-cardiac surgery and the relationship with growth in infants with CHD.

NICE Healthcare Databases website was used as a tool for multiple searches.

347 records were identified, of which 37 were duplicates. Following the removal of duplicate records, 310 record abstracts and titles were screened for inclusion. The full texts of eight articles were reviewed for eligibility, of which only two related to infants with CHD. The studies included in the scoping review described urinary metabolites in 42 infants. A content analysis identified two overarching themes of metabolic variation predictive of neurodevelopmental abnormalities associated with anaerobic metabolism and metabolic signature associated with the impact on gut microbiota, inflammation, energy, and lipid digestion.

The results of this scoping review suggest that there are considerable gaps in our knowledge relating to metabolic maturation of infants with CHD, especially with respect to growth. Surgery is a key early life feature for CHD infants and has an impact on the developing biochemical phenotype with implications for metabolic pathways involved in immunomodulation, energy, gut microbial, and lipid metabolism. These early life fingerprints may predict those individuals at risk for neurodevelopmental abnormalities.

No significant relationships.