AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION

2015 SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS AND ANNUAL MEETING AT EB

SYMPOSIUM APPLICATION

(Applications due March 15, 2014. Please limit to 4 pages or less)

Session Title:

Integrated Nutrition and Early Child Development Interventions:
Preventing Health and Economic Disparities

Session Chair(s) Contact Information

Session Chair
Name / Kristen M. Hurley, PhD, MPH
Organization / Department of International Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Address / 615 North Wolfe Street, E2516, Baltimore, MD 21205
Email /
Phone Number / 410-955-7937
Session Co-Chair (if applicable)
Name / Sylvia Fernandez-Rao, PhD
Organization / National Institute of Nutrition
Address / Tarnaka, Hyderabad, AP, India
Email /
Phone Number / 410-706-2136

Organizer of Proposal (if not Session Chair)

Organizer of Proposal
Name
Organization
Address
Email
Phone Number

Should the organizer be copied on all planning emails?

ÿ  Yes

ÿ  No

General Description of Session: Summarize the overall theme and specific topics to be reviewed. Reference new and/or emerging research that will be discussed, particularly research topics found in the ASN Research Priorities (see below). Explain how this session will be unique and useful to attendees. (No more than 350 words, please.)

Undernutrition and the lack of stimulating learning opportunities contribute to the loss of developmental potential among over 200 million children under age 5 in low and middle-income countries, especially when they occur during the first 1000 days (from conception through 24 months). Adequate nutrition and development early in life contribute to school readiness and have been linked to reductions in life-long health and economic disparities. Previous research has shown that nutrition interventions can impact child development. Recent evidence from brain science illustrates that although early brain development is sensitive to nutrition, it is also sensitive to other environmental conditions, including stress, nurturance, and opportunities for enrichment. Integrating nutrition with child development interventions may lead to synergistic effects on early child development that are stronger than single sector interventions. Nutrition and early child development interventions share many attributes, including a focus on children prior to 24 months of age, family-directed strategies, frequent delivery through home visiting or the health/nutrition sector, and shared interest in children’s nutrition and development. This symposium focuses on the science, implementation, evaluation, and scaling up of integrated nutrition and early child development interventions for children under age 24 months in low and middle-income countries. The interdisciplinary group of speakers will present four papers. The first paper includes the theoretical framework underlying the integration of nutrition and early child development interventions and a review of the evidence, based on recently published efficacy trials. The second paper reviews the timing and sensitive periods for the implementation of integrated nutrition and early child development interventions. The third paper reviews and compares findings and “lessons learned” from two recently completed, not yet published, integrated nutrition and early child development interventions from Pakistan and India. The final paper, from a World Bank colleague, reviews the financial, programmatic, monitoring, and policy issues considered in scaling up integrated nutrition and early child development interventions to prevent health and economic disparities. Formal presentations will be followed by a panel discussion of the chairs and presenters, with questions and comments from the audience, and a reception (pending funding).

Please provide at least three learning objectives for this session:

At the end of this sessions, attendees will be able to:
1. / To describe the theoretical and scientific evidence for implementing integrated nutrition and early child development interventions for children, families, and countries.
2. / To describe how sensitive periods inform the optimal timing of integrated nutrition and early child development interventions.
3. / To describe issues to consider in planning, implementing, and evaluating integrated nutrition and early child development interventions.
4. / To describe the financial, programmatic, and policy issues to consider in scaling up integrated nutrition and early child development interventions.

Please select the ASN Research Priorities that this session relates to the most. Check all that apply. Select none if not applicable.

Variability in Responses to Diet and Food

X The Impact of Nutrition on Healthy Growth, Development and Reproduction
ÿ  The Role of Nutrition in Health Maintenance
ÿ  The Role of Nutrition in Medical Management
ÿ  Nutrition-Related Behaviors
ÿ  Food Supply/ Environment

ÿ  Tools to Advance Nutrition Research

Presentation Titles and Proposed Speakers

Speaker 1
Presentation Title / Integrating Nutrition and Early Child Development Interventions: The Scientific Basis and Theoretical Framework
Length of Presentation (min) / 20 minutes
Name / Maureen M. Black
Institution / Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Address / 737 W. Lombard Street, #161, Baltimore, MD 21201
Email /
Telephone / 410-706-2136
Confirmed? (Yes/No) / Yes
Speaker 2
Presentation Title / Critical versus sensitive periods for integrated nutrition and child development interventions: Lessons Learned
Length of Presentation (min) / 20 minutes
Name / Raphael Perez-Escamilla
Institution / School of Public Health, Yale University
Address / 135 College Ave, Suite 200, New Haven, CT 06510
Email /
Telephone / (203) 737-5882
Confirmed? (Yes/No) / Yes
Speaker 3
Presentation Title / Findings and Lessons Learned from Integrated Nutrition and Early Child Development Interventions
Length of Presentation (min) / 20 minutes
Name / Aisha Yousafzai
Institution / Aga Khan University
Address / Naushero, Sindh, Pakistan, 75300
Email /
Telephone / 92 21 3486 4733
Confirmed? (Yes/No) / Yes
Speaker 4
Presentation Title / Financial, Programmatic, and Policy Issues: Scaling Up Integrated Nutrition and Early Child Development Interventions
Length of Presentation (min) / 20 minutes
Name / Michelle J Newman
Institution / The World Bank
Address / 1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433 USA
Email /
Telephone / (202) 473-1000
Confirmed? (Yes/No) / Yes

Do you wish to have this considered as part of the Education Track? The Education Track is reserved for interactive, smaller group sessions (less than 200) that are focused on an educational or professional development topic.

ÿ  Yes

X No

Which ASN member groups (councils, RIS groups) and participating societies will be most interested in this session? [Please list the groups.]

ASN Member Groups (Please mark all that apply)

ÿ  Medical Nutrition Council (MNC)

X Global Nutrition Council (GNC)

ÿ  Nutritional Sciences Council (NSC)

ÿ  Aging and Chronic Disease RIS

ÿ  CARIG RIS

X Community and Public Health RIS

ÿ  Diet & Cancer RIS

ÿ  Dietary Bioactive Components RIS

ÿ  Energy & Macronutrient Metabolism RIS

ÿ  Experimental Animal Nutrition RIS

ÿ  Lactation RIS

ÿ  Nutrient-Gene Interactions RIS

ÿ  Nutrition Education RIS

ÿ  Nutrition Translation RIS

ÿ  Nutritional Epidemiology RIS

ÿ  Nutritional Immunology RIS

ÿ  Obesity RIS

ÿ  Vitamins and Minerals RIS

Participating Societies:

X ASN

ÿ  Physiology (APS)

ÿ  Pharmacology (ASPET)

ÿ  Pathology (ASIP)

ÿ  Anatomy (AAA)

ÿ  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

Session organizers are expected to assist with obtaining funding to cover expenses related to the presentation of accepted sessions. Do you have funding to support this activity?

X Yes [Please indicate the company (ies) and amount(s).] Mathile Institute for the Advancement of Human Nutrition – amount to be determined

ÿ  No [If no, please list potential funding sources.]

Indicate which, if any, ASN RIS, Councils or Committees are endorsing this session:

Global Nutrition Council (GNC)

Describe any potential conflicts of interest of symposia organizers.

No conflicts of interest.

Budget Notes:

Funding will be sought by ASN to pay advance-purchase travel for speakers who are not members of the Society. Travel reimbursement is not provided to ASN members. A travel stipend and/or honorarium of up to $500 may be provided to ASN member speakers, based on funding. International airfares are typically limited to $2,500. Symposia may include up to 4 speakers, of which no more than one should be from outside of the US. Special requests (e.g., 5 speakers, more than one international speaker) will be considered on a case by case basis.

Given the international topic, we request permission to include an international co-chair and presenter.

If you have any questions about the status of your session proposal,

Please, contact Moira Guenther at or 301-634-7077.

Thank You for Your Submission.