Can a Combined Health, Nutrition, and Early Stimulation…

Can a Combined Health, Nutrition, and Early Stimulation Program Improve Outcomes in Small-for-Gestational-Age Infants? Infants born small for gestational age (SGA) are at increased risk of poor growth, undernutrition, anemia, and developmental delays. These risks are especially significant in South Asia, where a substantial proportion of global SGA births occur. A randomized clinical trial published in JAMA evaluated whether a multidomain intervention during infancy could improve growth and developmental outcomes in term SGA infants. Researchers enrolled 1,300 term SGA infants from low-resource urban communities in South Delhi, India. Mother-infant pairs were randomly assigned to receive either: A comprehensive intervention including health care, nutrition, early child stimulation, and maternal psychosocial support, or Usua