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Micronutrient Deficiencies and Maternal Thinness

First Chain in the Sequence of Nutritional and Health Events in Economic Crises

  • Chapter
Preventive Nutrition

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

Key Points

  • There is an important and potentially severe health and nutrition impact resulting from economic crises that are erupting around the globe, which are especially affecting the quality of diets.

  • Such impacts can cause a disadvantage for the neuro-intellectual and physical development of an entire generation.

  • Surveillance of changes in micronutrient status offers a sensitive means of tracking health and nutrition crises.

  • Tracking mothers’ body mass index measurements at a population level reflects changes in food consumption better than measurements of changes in underweight children.

  • Childhood anemia levels (reflecting iron deficiency) and maternal night blindness (reflecting vitamin A deficiency) are sensitive indicators of a change in intake of micronutrient-rich, more expensive foods.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Helen Keller International Regional Office Asia Pacific, Singapore

    Martin W. Bloem PhD & Saskia De Pee MD

  2. Nutrition Department, UNICEF New York, New York, NY

    Ian Darnton-Hill PhD

Authors
  1. Martin W. Bloem PhD
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  2. Saskia De Pee MD
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  3. Ian Darnton-Hill PhD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. GlaxoSmithKline, Parsippany, NJ

    Adrianne Bendich PhD, FACN

  2. College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY

    Richard J. Deckelbaum MD, FRCP(C)

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© 2005 Humana Press Inc.

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Bloem, M.W., De Pee, S., Darnton-Hill, I. (2005). Micronutrient Deficiencies and Maternal Thinness. In: Bendich, A., Deckelbaum, R.J. (eds) Preventive Nutrition. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-880-9_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-880-9_27

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-445-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-880-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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