Exploring Risk Factors of Child Growth Faltering: A Narrative Review and Regional Regression Study in South and Southeast Asia

Child growth faltering remains a pressing global health issue, particularly in South and Southeast Asia, where stunting and undernutrition rates persist despite economic development. This study combines a narrative review with a quantitative analysis to investigate the most influential risk factors contributing to impaired growth in early childhood. Drawing from literature published between 2008 and 2023, the review highlights key intervention strategies such as exclusive breastfeeding promotion, improved sanitation, and community-based education. In parallel, a multiple linear regression analysis using recent regional health datasets (2020–2021) was conducted to assess the predictive power of six malnutrition-related variables on child growth rate. Among them, suboptimal breastfeeding emerged as the most significant negative predictor (β = –0.196, p = 0.003), even when controlling for other factors such as micronutrient deficiencies, low birthweight, and poor sanitation. The findings underscore the critical importance of early-life nutrition and maternal practices and suggest that culturally sensitive, community-level approaches remain essential for effective and sustainable intervention. Strengthening local health systems to support targeted, education-based strategies may be key to reducing long-term developmental inequality in the region.