Optimizing Infant Nutrition to Support Gut Microbiota and Prevent Paediatric Nutritional Disorders

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2025) | Viewed by 2544

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, Australia
Interests: paediatrics; infant feedings; complementary feeding; malnutrition; anthro-pometric deficits; micronutrients deficiencies; coexisting forms of malnutri-tion (CFM); double burden of malnutrition (DBM); diarrhoeal diseases; gas-trointestinal disorders

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Guest Editor
1. Centre for Childhood Nutrition Research, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Graham Street, South Brisbane 4101, Australia
2. School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove 4059, Australia
Interests: paediatrics; childhood obesity; nutrition; nutrition assessment; growth; pa-rental feeding practices; food parenting practices; child eating behaviours; waist-height ratio; diet analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Background and History of This Topic:

The early years of life are crucial for the development of a robust gut microbiota, a key player in the overall health of children. Decades of research have emphasized that nutrition during infancy profoundly shapes the microbial communities within the gut, influencing immune responses, metabolic pathways, and general health. The historical context of this research underscores the significant role of early dietary practices in preventing long-term nutritional disorders and gastrointestinal diseases in paediatric populations.

Aim and Scope of the Special Issue:

This Special Issue seeks to delve into the intricate relationship between infant nutrition and gut microbiota, with a concentrated focus on the prevention of paediatric nutritional disorders. Our goal is to unite leading researchers and clinicians to explore how early dietary interventions can be leveraged to optimize gut health, thereby contributing to the prevention of diseases that originate from or are exacerbated by nutritional imbalances.

Cutting-Edge Research:

In recent years, breakthroughs in paediatric gastroenterology and microbiome science have uncovered the complex interactions between diet and gut microbiota. These discoveries have opened new avenues for targeted nutritional strategies aimed at enhancing microbial diversity and resilience, thus preventing the onset of gastrointestinal disorders and nutritional deficiencies. This Special Issue will spotlight pioneering studies that explore these cutting-edge topics, offering fresh perspectives and novel methodologies.

What Kind of Papers We Are Soliciting:

We are seeking contributions in the form of original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and clinical studies that provide valuable insights into the nexus of infant nutrition, gut microbiota, and paediatric health. Manuscripts that present innovative dietary strategies, explore microbial interactions, or offer practical clinical applications in preventing nutritional and gastrointestinal disorders in children are especially welcome. We encourage submissions that push the boundaries of current knowledge and contribute to the advancement of this critical field.

We look forward to your valuable contributions to this Special Issue, which we believe will significantly advance our understanding of how to optimize infant nutrition for the betterment of paediatric health.

Dr. Asif Khaliq
Dr. Smita Nambiar-Mann
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • infant nutrition
  • gut microbiota
  • paediatric health
  • nutritional disorders
  • early childhood diet
  • microbiome development
  • gastrointestinal health
  • dietary interventions
  • paediatric gastroenterology
  • nutritional prevention

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1538 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Relationship of Paediatric Nutritional Status with Diarrhoeal Disease in Children Below Two Years of Age
by Asif Khaliq, Smita Nambiar-Mann, Yvette D. Miller and Darren Wraith
Children 2024, 11(11), 1374; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11111374 - 12 Nov 2024
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Abstract
Background and objective: Paediatric malnutrition has a synergistic relationship with diarrhoea. In children under two years of age, diarrhoea occurs in more than half of malnutrition cases and is associated with increased duration of illness, increased length of hospital stays, increased morbidity, and [...] Read more.
Background and objective: Paediatric malnutrition has a synergistic relationship with diarrhoea. In children under two years of age, diarrhoea occurs in more than half of malnutrition cases and is associated with increased duration of illness, increased length of hospital stays, increased morbidity, and mortality. A well-established relationship exists between diarrhoeal and various standalone forms of malnutrition, but their association with coexisting forms of malnutrition (CFM) has not yet been investigated. Thus, this study assessed the association of CFM with diarrhoea among Pakistani children using datasets retrieved from Demographic Health & Survey and UNICEF. Study design: A pooled analysis of datasets of Pakistan Demographic & Health Surveys (PDHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) from the year 2010 to 2018 was conducted. Methods: Data of 70,723 children aged below two years were analysed after excluding those with incomplete anthropometry and outliers. Findings: Of the total study population, this study reported the presence of either diarrhoea or malnutrition or both in over half of Pakistani children aged between 0 and 23.9 months. Both standalone forms of undernutrition and coexisting forms of undernutrition were significantly associated with increased odds of diarrhoea by 1.07 (1.02 to 1.12) and 1.21 (1.16 to 1.27) times. The practice of breastfeeding, secondary/higher level of maternal education, and improvement in socioeconomic status reduced the risk of diarrhoea, while the children aged between 6 and 23.9 months residing in urban areas showed a high risk of diarrhoea. Conclusions: The presence of any type of undernutrition, i.e., standalone and/or coexisting forms were associated with increased risk of diarrhoeal diseases in children. An improvement in socioeconomic status, adherence to the continuation of breastfeeding, and maternal education are keys to reducing the burden of diarrhoea among children. Full article
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