World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Maternal and Child Nutrition
H-index 30

Maternal and Child Nutrition

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Medicine 743 109 186 28

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 219
Documents by Best Scientists*: 286
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 15
SCIMAGO H-index: 85
SCIMAGO SJR: 1.223
Impact Factor: 2.6

Overview

Top Research Topics at Maternal and Child Nutrition?

Maternal and Child Nutrition primarily focuses on research topics in Breastfeeding, Environmental health, Pediatrics, Malnutrition and Psychological intervention. Nursing, Public health, Demography, Family medicine and Breast feeding are some topics wherein Breastfeeding research discussed in the journal have an impact. The work on Nursing tackled in Maternal and Child Nutrition brings together disciplines like Focus group and Health care.

While Demography is the focus of the journal, it also provided insights into the studies of Odds ratio, Logistic regression and Confidence interval. While Environmental health is the key highlight in it, it also covered some subjects on Micronutrient and Nutrient. Maternal and Child Nutrition focuses on Pediatrics but the discussions also offer insight into other areas such as Pregnancy, Randomized controlled trial, Cohort study and Child development.

Research in Body mass index and the interrelating topic of Obesity were among the subjects of interest in the Pregnancy studies discussed in Maternal and Child Nutrition. The studies in Malnutrition featured incorporate elements of Socioeconomic status, Anthropometry, Wasting and Underweight. The journal investigates Psychological intervention research which frequently intersects with Intervention (counseling).

  • Breastfeeding (31.37%)
  • Environmental health (24.65%)
  • Pediatrics (19.87%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Systematic review of the efficacy and effectiveness of complementary feeding interventions in developing countries. (628 citations)
  • Long-term consequences of stunting in early life. (467 citations)
  • Childhood stunting: a global perspective. (382 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Maternal and Child Nutrition:

The most cited articles investigate areas of study like Breastfeeding, Environmental health, Pediatrics, Malnutrition and Breast feeding. The journal papers address concerns in Environmental health which are intertwined with other disciplines, such as Psychological intervention, Obesity, Rural area and Child development. Aside from discussions in Malnutrition, the journal articles also deal with the subject of Developing country which intersects with Developed country disciplines.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Internal medicine
  • Disease
  • China

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The journal facilitates discussions on Breastfeeding, Environmental health, Psychological intervention, Demography and Pregnancy. Issues in Breastfeeding were discussed, taking into consideration concepts from other disciplines like Nursing, Breast feeding, Family medicine and Infant formula. Maternal and Child Nutrition explores issues in Environmental health which can be linked to other research areas like Developing country, Animal source foods, Micronutrient, Malnutrition and Public health.

While the primary focus in Maternal and Child Nutrition is Malnutrition, it also dissects topics surrounding Underweight and Anthropometry as a whole. In addition to Psychological intervention research, it aims to explore topics under Gerontology, Intervention (counseling), Social support, Qualitative research and Focus group. The research on Demography presented in Maternal and Child Nutrition often intersects with areas of study such as

  • Logistic regression that connect with fields like Food group,
  • Obesity most often made with reference to Body mass index..

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Experiences of breastfeeding during COVID-19: Lessons for future practical and emotional support (35 citations)
  • First-food systems transformations and the ultra-processing of infant and young child diets: The determinants, dynamics and consequences of the global rise in commercial milk formula consumption (15 citations)
  • Breastfeeding and the origins of health: Interdisciplinary perspectives and priorities. (6 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in Maternal and Child Nutrition (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Rafael Pérez-Escamilla (39 papers) published 7 papers at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition,
  • Kathryn G. Dewey (34 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Purnima Menon (27 papers) published 5 papers at the last edition, 2 more than at the previous edition,
  • Fiona Dykes (26 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
  • Victor M. Aguayo (24 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Maternal and Child Nutrition (based on the number of publications) are:

  • UNICEF (100 papers) published 17 papers at the last edition, 5 less than at the previous edition,
  • University of California, Davis (87 papers) published 4 papers at the last edition, 3 less than at the previous edition,
  • Cornell University (77 papers) published 10 papers at the last edition,
  • Johns Hopkins University (68 papers) published 15 papers at the last edition, 4 more than at the previous edition,
  • Helen Keller International (64 papers) published 5 papers at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 1.91% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 35.12% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 12.68% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 20.49% of all publications and 31.71% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

How Nursing Research is Relevant in Maternal and Child Nutrition

Due to the intricate nature of Maternal and Child Nutrition, it's important to appreciate the role of nursing in research on this topic. The discipline of nursing brings valuable insights into the health care aspects, impacting numerous topics discussed in the journal such as breastfeeding, family medicine, and public health.

Nursing practices significantly influence the overall health of mothers and children, making the discipline crucial in Maternal and Child Nutrition studies. Registered nurses, and more specifically nurse practitioners, carry out a wide range of roles engaging with expecting mothers, newborns, and even pediatrics, promoting a healthy lifestyle and ensuring optimal nutrition. Nurse practitioners apply their extensive knowledge and training in critical areas such as breastfeeding, malnutrition, and psychological intervention to deliver effective care and also contribute to meaningful research.

Many nursing professionals get involved in research activities to better understand and address the challenges mothers and children face concerning their nutrition. This results in targeted interventions and ultimately better health outcomes. Given the considerable influence nurses can have on Maternal and Child Nutrition, it's imperative for those in the nursing field to be well-trained and have a thorough understanding of the associated medical specialties.

For instance, for readers interested in becoming an effective nursing professional in Maine, understanding the nurse practitioner program requirements can be instrumental. You can learn more about the nurse practitioner program requirements in Maine by visiting this page.

Top Publications

  • COVID-19 and maternal and child food and nutrition insecurity: a complex syndemic.

    Rafael Pérez‐Escamilla;Kenda Cunningham;Victoria Louise Moran

    (2020)
    202 Citations
  • First-food systems transformations and the ultra-processing of infant and young child diets: The determinants, dynamics and consequences of the global rise in commercial milk formula consumption

    Phillip Baker;Thiago Santos;Paulo Augusto Neves;Priscila Machado

    (2021)
    119 Citations
  • Be Healthy in Pregnancy: Exploring factors that impact pregnant women's nutrition and exercise behaviours.

    Lindsay N. Grenier;Stephanie A. Atkinson;Michelle F. Mottola;Olive Wahoush

    (2021)
    97 Citations
  • What works to protect, promote and support breastfeeding on a large scale: A review of reviews

    (2022)
    78 Citations
  • Risk factors for self‐reported insufficient milk during the first 6 months of life: A systematic review

    (2022)
    71 Citations
  • Household food insecurity and early childhood development: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Klébya Hellen Dantas de Oliveira;Géssica Mercia de Almeida;Muriel Bauermann Gubert;Amanda Souza Moura

    (2020)
    71 Citations
  • Breastfeeding and childhood obesity: A 12-country study

    Jian Ma;Yijuan Qiao;Pei Zhao;Wei Li

    (2020)
    68 Citations
  • Monitoring breastfeeding indicators in high-income countries: Levels, trends and challenges

    Juliana S Vaz;Maria Fatima S Maia;Maria Fatima S Maia;Paulo A R Neves;Thiago M Santos

    (2021)
    65 Citations
  • Breastfeeding and the origins of health: Interdisciplinary perspectives and priorities.

    Meghan B Azad;Nathan C Nickel;Nathan C Nickel;Lars Bode;Meredith Brockway

    (2021)
    55 Citations
  • Impact of prelacteal feeds and neonatal introduction of breast milk substitutes on breastfeeding outcomes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

    (2022)
    54 Citations

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