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CHILD NUTRITION : CURRENT CONCERNS Dr Shanti Ghosh. Figure 1: Undernutrition prevalence in South Asian countries is much higher than in Africa. Source: De Onis and others (2004a); SCN (2004).
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CHILD NUTRITION : CURRENT CONCERNS Dr Shanti Ghosh
Figure 1: Undernutrition prevalence in South Asian countries is much higher than in Africa Source: De Onis and others (2004a); SCN (2004) Prevalence rates for under-nutrition in India, Bangala Desh and Pakistan vary between 38-51% while those in Sab- saharan Africa are around 26% .
The window of opportunity for improving nutritional status is small from before pregnancy though the first two years of life . There is consensus that the damage to physical growth , brain development and human capital formation occurs during this period is largely irreversible . Therefore interventions must focus on this window of opportunity
Child growth failure Low Height and Weight in teens Low Birth Weight Early Pregnancy Small adult women Intergenerational Cycle of Growth Failure
Maternal health and nutrition outcomes are key determinants to birth outcomes • Birth outcomes are key determinants for child mortality, health and development outcomes • (Early) childhood health, nutrition and development outcomes are key determinants for adolescent health, nutrition and development • Adolescent health influences maternal mortality, health and nutrition outcomes and • The cycle continues
There is a progressive increase in under-nutrition between 6-18 months
Why is malnutrition high ? • Malnutrition is low(10-30%) until around 6 M • Malnutrition peaks(50-80%) by around 18 M • Less than 25% of 6-18 months-olds eat even half the amount that WHO recommends, despite availability of food at home • Every 6-8 months-old falls sick once in three weeks
Enabling strategies for breastfeeding for 6 months • Six months maternity leave for women working in the organized sector • Monetary support for non-organized sector • Day care centre (crèches) managed by community, supported by panchayat • Role of fathers
WHO recommendations for Complementary feeding 2001- Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 month- Complementary feeding in increasing quantity and frequency after that Kcal Requirement Based on WHO Complementary feeding: Family foods for Breastfed children WHO, Geneva 2000 and 2001
Child Feeding Practices by Percentage Underweight Group A: Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan Group B: Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura Group C: Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Delhi, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir Group D: Punjab, Goa, Mizoram, Manipur, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim
Consequences of under nutrition • Increase morbidity, increase mortality • Decrease cognitive & social development • Decrease work capacity & productivity • Risk of morbidity • 8-fold increase in severe under new nutrition • 2-3 fold increase in moderate & mild under nutrition
WHO 2001 Malnutrition has been responsible directly or indirectly for 60% of the 10.9 Million deaths annually among children under 5 years; most occurring during the first year.
Severely underweight children (60% of ref. weight for age) have greater than eight fold risk of mortality than normally nourished children • Moderately underweight children (60-69% of ref. weight for age) have a 4-5 fold greater risk and even mildly underweight children (70-79% weight for age) have a 2-3 times greater risk
Malnutrition responsible for 60% deaths among children under five • Ballagio meeting (Lancet 2003) concluded that breastfeeding could prevent 13 to 16 percent of childhood deaths in India
Critical period 6m-2years • Exclusive breastfeeding 6 months • Home based semisolids 3-4 times after that • Access to health care, preventive and curative
Mean Energy Consumption-Children/Adolescents and Adults Source: NNMB, 2000
Average Weight Velocity, Stratified byintervention group Reference: Kilaru, Griffith, Ganapathy, Ghosh 2005
For the first time in its 10th Five Year Plan, Government of India has included state specific goals to improve- • infant and young child feeding practices • to reduce infant and young child mortality rates and • to improve nutrition.
Child nutrition goals by 2007 (Tenth five year plan 2003-2007) • Exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months-80%. At present it is 40-50%. • Universal complementary food introduction at 6 months from the current 33%(varying from 17.3% to 87.3% in different states). • Reduce severe malnutrition in children 0-6 years by about 50%. • Reduce prevalence of anemia by 25% and moderate and severe anemia by 50%. • Eliminate vitamin A deficiency as a public health problem. • Reduce IDD to less than 10%.