Promoting Child Growth and Development in the Sustainable Development Goals Era: Is It Time for New Thinking?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Nutrition Science

Background:

• Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) programs are widely implemented for child health.
• Evidence of GMP effectiveness is inconsistent due to varied program designs and operations.
• Despite challenges, GMP remains a cornerstone of preventive child healthcare in 178 countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the essential role of GMP in child health.
• To advocate for a renewed approach to GMP implementation.
• To emphasize GMP's potential for fostering dialogue and accountability in child development.

Main Methods:

• This article presents a conceptual argument based on existing literature and implementation observations.
• It synthesizes evidence on the importance and challenges of GMP.
• The authors propose a paradigm shift for future GMP strategies.

Main Results:

• GMP facilitates critical conversations with families and communities regarding child growth.
• GMP serves as a potent mechanism for driving action and accountability for child nutrition and development.
• Current GMP approaches face implementation hurdles that limit their full potential.

Conclusions:

• A compelling need exists for continued and improved GMP programs.
• A paradigm shift is necessary, tailoring GMP to diverse contexts for optimized, scalable implementation.
• Rethinking GMP is crucial for enhancing its impact on global child nutrition and development.