How this U of T pediatrician came up with a solution to treat malnourished children around the world

Millions of babies in the developing world are getting treated for malnutrition and anemia with a nutrient-packed powder sprinkled onto their food.

The pediatrician who developed “Sprinkles,” the fittingly named micronutrient powder, is Dr. Stanley Zlotkin, a professor at the University of Toronto and a clinical nutritionist at SickKids.

Zlotkin was first approached 20 years ago by UNICEF to try and figure out why global efforts to reduce iron deficiency in children were failing. An estimated 500 million children in the world suffer from anemia and iron deficiency.

Not only was he able to identify the problem – children and their parents didn’t like the taste or the stained teeth left by existing iron drops – but he went on to accept UNICEF’s challenge to produce an alternative.