Though often overlooked, stunting requires early, proper intervention and long-term care. It can impact physical health, brain development and overall well-being.

Participants were given the data at a symposium organised by the Vietnam Paediatric Association and Abbott in Hanoi last weekend.

The event aimed to foster a cohesive approach and collaboration between medical experts and families to address stunting, bringing together more than 400 parents for practical knowledge on growth monitoring and childcare.

At the event, health experts said that height and weight are equally important indicators of development. Parents are advised to frequently track and assess their children's growth to detect malnutrition and implement scientific interventions.

To support families, the Vietnam Paediatric Association developed a new online growth tracker https://hoinhikhoavietnam.org.vn/cong-cu-danh-gia-tang-truong-cho-be, based on the WHO Child Growth Standards, to help parents easily assess their child’s growth and detect early signs of malnutrition.

“Early detection is crucial to tackle stunting, as the first five years account for 60% of a child's adult height,” said the Vice President of Vietnam Paediatric Association, Dr Khu Thi Khanh Dung.

“Parents should monitor their children’s growth regularly against WHO standards and consult healthcare professionals for an appropriate solution. Early action can prevent long-term consequences on children’s health and improve the stature of Vietnamese children.”

Stunted children and those at risk have higher nutritional needs for catch-up growth. It's important to ensure a complete and balanced diet, supplementing key nutrients for growth such as high-quality protein, arginine, vitamin K2 and essential vitamins.

For those with nutritional deficiencies, a complete and balanced oral nutrition supplement can be an effective solution to help improve growth.

New findings from Abbott’s latest clinical study were presented at the event, demonstrating the impact of a complete oral nutrition supplement - Food for Special Medical Purposes on 300 Vietnamese children demonstrated that stunted and at-risk children experienced a doubling in height-for-age growth after four months of intervention.

Other studies have highlighted the positive impact of complete and balanced nutrition on enhancing immunity and promoting healthy development without excessive weight gain.

The Abbott Centre for Malnutrition Solutions (ACMS) leverages the company’s science and healthcare expertise and partnerships to develop innovations that help detect, address and prevent malnutrition in communities around the world.

In 2022, Vietnam issued the National Nutrition Strategy to 2025-2030 with a focus on addressing three nutritional burdens, including malnutrition (stunting and underweight), obesity and micronutrient deficiencies.

The strategy also set goals to eliminate stunting by reducing the rate in children under five years old to below 17% by 2025 (below 28% in mountainous areas) and below 15% (below 23% in mountainous areas) by 2030. The rate of underweight children will be brought down to below five% by 2025 and below three% by 2030.

The strategy also aims to increase the youth average height of 18-year-olds by 2025, an increase of 2–2.5 centimetres for males and 1.5–2 centimetres for females, compared to 2020.

Stunting, underweight rates among ethnic minority children remain high

The rates of stunting and underweight among children aged under five in ethnic groups in Vietnam remain at 31.4% and 21% respectively, according to the National Institute of Nutrition.