42 PERCENT OF INDIAN CHILDREN
ARE UNDERWIGHT
A new study based on a survey of the height and weight of more than one lakh children across six states has found that as many as 42 percent of under-fives are severely or moderately underweight and that 59 percent of them suffer from moderate to severe stunding, meaning their height is much lower than the median height for age of the reference population. The findings contained in the Hunger and Malnutrition report by the Naandi Foundation were described by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a "national shame" at a release function on Tuesday,10th January,2012. Despite impressive growth in India's Gross Domestic Product in recent years, the level of under nutrition is unacceptably high.
The report also found that of the stunted children about half are severely stunted and about half of all children are underweight or stunted by the time they are two years. However, the number of underweight children has decreased from 53 to 42 percent in the past seven years- the last study on the subject was done in 2004.
The 100 Focus Districts are located across Bihar,Jharkhand,Madhya Pradesh,Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh- states which perform the worst on child nutrition. The survey notes that the prevalence of malnutrition is significantly higher among children from low income families. It found that children from Muslim or SC/St households generally had worse nutrition indicators. Birth weight is an important risk-factor for child mal nutrition,says the report. the prevalence of under weight in children born with a weight below 2.5 kg is 50 percent, while that among children born a weight above 2.5 kg is 34 percent.
The survey found that awareness among mothers about nutrition is low-92 percent mothers had never heard the word malnutrition" Highlighting the negligence shown towards girl children even in their early childhood,the report says have over boys in the first months of life seems to be reversed over time as they grow older. According to the survey, the mothers education level also determines children's nutrition.
Prof. John Kurakar
ARE UNDERWIGHT
A new study based on a survey of the height and weight of more than one lakh children across six states has found that as many as 42 percent of under-fives are severely or moderately underweight and that 59 percent of them suffer from moderate to severe stunding, meaning their height is much lower than the median height for age of the reference population. The findings contained in the Hunger and Malnutrition report by the Naandi Foundation were described by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a "national shame" at a release function on Tuesday,10th January,2012. Despite impressive growth in India's Gross Domestic Product in recent years, the level of under nutrition is unacceptably high.
The report also found that of the stunted children about half are severely stunted and about half of all children are underweight or stunted by the time they are two years. However, the number of underweight children has decreased from 53 to 42 percent in the past seven years- the last study on the subject was done in 2004.
The 100 Focus Districts are located across Bihar,Jharkhand,Madhya Pradesh,Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh- states which perform the worst on child nutrition. The survey notes that the prevalence of malnutrition is significantly higher among children from low income families. It found that children from Muslim or SC/St households generally had worse nutrition indicators. Birth weight is an important risk-factor for child mal nutrition,says the report. the prevalence of under weight in children born with a weight below 2.5 kg is 50 percent, while that among children born a weight above 2.5 kg is 34 percent.
The survey found that awareness among mothers about nutrition is low-92 percent mothers had never heard the word malnutrition" Highlighting the negligence shown towards girl children even in their early childhood,the report says have over boys in the first months of life seems to be reversed over time as they grow older. According to the survey, the mothers education level also determines children's nutrition.
Prof. John Kurakar
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