As community physicians, we are hit by malnutrition among under five children so hard on the face that our heart starts aching. Under nutrition is worst in the age group of 6 months to one and half years. This is not just because of a delay in the introduction of weaning foods but also due to the poor quality of foods combined with inappropriate practice of feeding. According to the NFHS 3, only 21% of the children in India were offered any semi-solid food between 6 and 23 months. How tragic!
At the time of maximum growth, the child is deprived of essential nutrition. Who is at fault? Is it the mothers or the doctors? An intervention in Haiti taught mothers to use inexpensive local foods to prepare nutritious food for their children. This was highly successful in helping mothers rehabilitate their malnourished children: the children of the mothers who received demonstration-education…
