The Learning Lead - Volume 1 2025: Nutrition for Catch-up Growth in Young Children

Early life is a critical foundational period to establish long term health outcomes and we know that good nutrition during this time is vital not just for physical growth, but also for optimal brain development.
 “Growth faltering” refers to a pattern of slower weight gain than is expected for a child’s age and gender, or a failure to grow at a normal rate that is comparable to the child’s peers. In 2019, 144 million children under the age of 5 were affected by stunting and 47 million by wasting. Poor growth and undernutrition are associated with an increased risk for infection, impaired cognitive ability, as well as reduced school and work performance.