Chronic undernutrition during pregnancy and early childhood manifests as stunted growth.  Stunting is a well-established risk factor for poor child development.  Children who suffer from chronic undernutrition in the early stages of life fail to grow and develop to their full potential, both mentally and physically. Several longitudinal studies show stunting before age 2-3 years predicts poorer cognitive and educational outcomes in later childhood and adolescence.1 Deficiencies of essential micronutrients also have significant adverse effects on child survival, growth and development.  The causes of undernutrition are multifaceted and range from immediate causes such as inadequate dietary intake and incidence and recurrence of illnesses and disease, to underlying causes such as household food insecurity, inadequate care and feeding practices, unhealthy household environment and inadequate health services.  Underlying these causes are basic causes such as household access to adequate quantity and quality of resources; land, education, employment, income, technology, inadequate financial, human, physical and social capital and the broader sociocultural, economic and political context.