Associate Professor
DrPH, Johns Hopkins 1997
Bloomberg School of Public Health
International Health
For the past 18 years my research has focused on the role of nutrition in influencing maternal, infant and child health, survival, growth and development in low income countries. I am specifically interested in micronutrient deficiencies and their impact on fetal growth, birth outcomes, reproductive health and survival and child survival, growth and development. My research, carried out in Nepal, examined the impact of alternative combinations of micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy in reducing low birth weight and neonatal mortality. Recently, I was involved in two large community trials in Bangladesh of maternal vitamin A and beta-carotene supplementation and its impact on maternal mortality and the impact of newborn vitamin A supplementation on infant mortality. Currently, I am co-PI of a trial in Bangladesh, which aims to test the efficacy of maternal multiple micronutrient supplementation in improving infant survival (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/indias-poor-suffer-in-official-food-fight/article1263143/) Within this study, I am also specifically interested in examining the influence of nutrients on materno-fetal-placental factors promoting fetal growth. I am also involved in prospective cohort studies to examine the long term impact of maternal micronutrient interventions on cognitive outcomes funded by NICHD (R01) and early biomarkers of chronic diseases in the children of the women who participated in the original trial who are now 6-8 y of age. I have recently completed studies of treatment of severe anemia in pregnant women and young children in Karachi, Pakistan.
micronutrients, nutrient interactions, maternal mortality, infant mortality, reproductive health, low birth weight, pregnancy, community trials, nutrition and cognition, developmental origins of health and disease, epidemiology, Open CourseWare,
2008 M. S. University of Baroda, Foods and Nutrition Department, India - Alumni Achievement Award -
2004 Pollin Stipend for young investigator of $100,000 -
1997 Delta Omega Honor Society (Johns Hopkins) -
1996 Harry D. Kruse Award -
1996 Society for International Nutrition Research - Student Prize
Research Projects
Antenatal and Preschool Iron and Zinc Supplementation and Cognition
Chronic deficiency of essential micronutrients is the most common, preventable form of malnutrition in the developing world, affecting millions of infants, young children and pregnant women. Interest is growing in understanding effects of specific micronutrient deficiencies early in life,...
Effect of Antenatal Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation on Fetal and Infant Mortality and Maternal Health in Bangladesh (JiVitA-3)
JiVitA-3 is a double-masked, 36,000-pregnancy, randomized community trial planned to be carried out at the JiVitA research site in NW Bangladesh. JiVitA-3 will compare the effects of a micronutrient supplement containing an approximate Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) during pregnancy for 15...
Evaluation Of Anthelminthics And Multivitamins For Treatment Of Severe Anemia In Pregnant Women And Children In Pakistan
The evaluation of anthelminthics and multivitamins for treatment of severe anemia in pregnant women and children in Karachi, Pakistan is referred to as the Pakistan Severe Anemia Treatment Trials (PSATT). PSATT is a randomized, double-masked, controlled trial testing the efficacy of two enhanced...
Follow-up Health and Nutrition Survey of Participants of Micronutrient Intervention Trials in Nepal from 1989 through 2001
In multiple intervention trial cohorts in southern Nepal, aged 6-8 yrs, 9-12 yrs and 16-22 years of age, to examine the long-term impact of various micronutrient supplement interventions provided as part of randomized, placebo-controlled trials during pregnancy (ie, in utero) and early childhood...
Impact of Malnutrition on HIV Treatment Failure in Resource-Limited Settings
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has reduced morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected persons worldwide. However, early treatment failure (i.e. WHO stage 3 or 4 illnesses or death during the first 12 months of HAART) is >3-fold higher in resource limited settings (RLS) than in resource...
Micronutrient Deficiency Study - Jivita (Off Campus)
A randomized community trial of 36,000 pregnancies to assess the impact of a multiple micronutrient antenatal supplement on infant mortality.
Newborn Vitamin A Supplementation Trial to Reduce Infant Mortality in Bangladesh
A double-masked, randomized, 26,000-infant trial, following positive outcome studies in Indonesia and India, to confirm an ability of newborn supplementation with 50,000 IU of vitamin A to reduce infant mortality by 20% or more in the 1st six months of life. Positive findings would pave the way...
The portable field dark adaptometer: Validating a novel device for field-based screening and detection of vitamin A deficiency and night blindness, a debilitating condition associated with high maternal and child mortality
Night blindness, the inability to see after dusk in individuals with normal day-time vision, is a common manifestation of moderate to severe vitamin A deficiency (V AD). Apart from causing disability, night blindness is also associated with increased infections and maternal and infant mortality....
Christian P. Impact of the economic crisis and increase in food prices on child mortality. Exploring nutritional partnerships. J Nutr 2010; 140:177S-81S. -
Rah Jee, Shamim AA, Ummeh A, Labrique A, Rashid M, Christian P. Age of Onset and nutritional and seasonal variations in menarche in rural Bangladesh. J Hlth Pop Nutr (In press). -
Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Shrestha SR, West KP, Christian P. The postpartum nutritional status of adolescents is diminished by pregnancy in rural Nepal. Mat Child Nutr (In press). -
Christian P. Stewart CS. Maternal Micronutrient Deficiency, Fetal Development, and the Risk of Chronic Disease. J Nutr (In press). -
Christian P, Shahid F, Rizvi A, Klemm RDW, Bhutta ZA. Treatment response to standard of care for severe anemia in pregnant women and effect of multivitamins and enhanced anthelminthics. Am J Clin Nutr 2009; 89:853-61. -
Christian P, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Dali SM. Effects of prenatal micronutrient supplementation on complications of labor and delivery and puerperal morbidity in rural Nepal. Int J of Obstet Gynecol 2009;106:3-7. -
Rah JH, Christian P, Shamim AA, Ummeh UT, Labrique AB, Rashid M. Predictors of stunting and thinness in post-menarcheal adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh. Pub Hlth Nutr 2009; 12:2400-9. -
Kulkarni B, Christian P, LeClerq SC, Khatry SK. Determinants of compliance to antenatal micronutrient supplementation and women’s perceptions of supplement use in rural Nepal. Pub Hlth Nutr. 2009 doi:1017/S1368980009005862. -
Stewart CP, Christian P, LeClerq SC, West KP, Jr. Khatry SK. Antenatal supplementation with folic acid + iron + zinc improves linear growth and reduces peripheral adiposity in school-age children in rural Nepal. Am J Clin Nutr 2009; 90:132-40. -
Merrill RD, Shamim AA, Labrique AB, Ali H, Schulze K, Rashid M, Christian P, West KP Jr. Validation of two portable instruments to measure iron concentration in groundwater in rural Bangladesh. J Hlth Pop Nutr 2009; 27:414-8. -
Lee Anne CC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Shrestha SR, Christian P. Maternal-fetal disproportion and birth asphyxia in rural Sarlahi, Nepal. Arch Pediatr and Adol Med 2009; 163:616-623. -
Bhutta Z, Klemm R, Shahid F, Rizvi A, Rah J, Christian P. Treatment response to iron and folic acid alone is the same as with multivitamins and/or anthelminthics in severely anemic 6-to 24-month-old children. J Nutr 2009; 139:1568-74. -
Stewart CP, Christian P, Schulze KJ, LeClerq SC, West KP Jr., Khatry SK. Antenatal micronutrient supplementation reduces metabolic syndrome in 6- to 8-year old children in rural Nepal. J Nutr 2009; 139:1575-81. -
Christian P, Stewart CP, Wu L, LeClerq SC, Katz J, West KP Jr., Khatry SK. Antenatal iron supplementation reduces childhood mortality in rural Nepal. A prospective follow-up in a community-based controlled randomised trial. AJE 2009; 170:1127-36. -
Rah Jee, Shamim AA, Ummeh A, Labrique A, Klemm R, Rashid M, Christian P. Difference in ponderal growth and body composition among pregnant versus never-pregnant adolescents varies by birth outcomes. Mat Child Nutr DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2009.00197. -
Klemm R, Labrique AB, Christian P, Rashid M, Shamim AA, Katz J, Sommer A, West KP Jr. Impact of Newborn Vitamin A Supplementation on Infant Mortality to Six Months of Age: A Double-blind, Cluster-randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial in Rural Bangladesh. Pediatrics 2008; 120:e240-250. -
Keith P. West Jr., Parul Christian. Antenatal micronutrients in undernourished people- Commentary. Lancet 2008; 371:452-453. -
Rah JH*, Christian P, Shamim AA, Ummeh AT, Labrique AB, Rashid M. Pregnancy and lactation hinder growth and nutritional status of adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh. J Nutr 2008; 138:1505-1511. -
Christian P, Darmstadt GL, Wu L, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Katz J, West KP Jr. Adhikari RA. The impact of maternal micronutrient supplementation on early neonatal morbidity in rural Nepal: a randomized, controlled community trial. Arch Dis Child 2008; 93:660-664. -
Schulze K, Christian P, Ray AL, Nath A, Wu L, Semba RD. Hepcidin is associated with indicators of iron status among pregnant women in Bangladesh. Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr 2008; 17:451-456.
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