Abstract
Guatemala has the highest rate of childhood stunting in Latin America and ranks sixth in the world. Stunting, which refers to linear stature (length/height) that is two standard deviations below what is defined as normal for a child, is associated with reduced brain development, which in turn is related to diminished learning capacity, poor school performance, predisposition to some communicable diseases, and reduced income in adult life. It is considered that preventing stunting will promote better health and economic results for the future. To prevent stunting emphasis has been paid in a series of nutrition and health interventions executed in the “First Thousand Days of Life,” from conception to the child’s second birthday. The logic of these interventions implies that future health and economic wealth requires good nutrition in early life, even before birth. In Guatemala the national efforts to prevent childhood stunting place emphasis on the care work and feeding responsibilities of pregnant and lactating women. In the context of the national effort to prevent stunting these women become responsible for the growth and development of their children and the nation. Based on fieldwork with mothers with children targeted and fieldworkers of interventions to prevent childhood stunting, this study examines how categories of growth, nutrition, stunting, and development intervene in Guatemala to talk about children, the care work and the feeding responsibilities of mothers and the future of the nation.
Presenters
Luisa Madrigal MarroquinStudent, PhD Candidate, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Growth, Development, Mothers, Stunting, Nutrition
