Stunted growth

Stunted growth
Other names	Stunting, nutritional stunting
World map in 2016 showing the percentage of children who are stunted in each country
Specialty	Pediatrics

Stunted growth, also known as stunting or linear growth failure, is defined as impaired growth and development manifested by low height-for-age.^[1] Stunted growth is often caused by malnutrition, and can also be caused by endogenous factors such as chronic food insecurity or exogenous factors such as parasitic infection. Stunting is largely irreversible if occurring in the first 1000 days from conception to two years of age.^[2] The international definition of childhood stunting is a child whose height-for-age value is at least two standard deviations below the median of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Child Growth Standards.^[3] Stunted growth is associated with poverty, maternal undernutrition, poor health, frequent illness, or inappropriate feeding practices and care during the early years of life.^[1]

Among children under five years of age, the global stunting prevalence declined from 26.3% in 2012 to 22.3% in 2022. It is projected that 19.5% of all children under five will be stunted in 2030.^[4][5] More than 85% of the world's stunted children live in Asia and Africa.^[6] Once stunting occurs, its effects are often long-lasting. Stunted children generally do not recover lost height, and they may experience long-term impacts on body composition and overall health.