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Strategies For Reducing Malnutrition On Children's Zero To Five Years
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The World Health Organisation estimated in 2008 that globally, half of
all cases of malnutrition in children under five were caused by
inadequate food intake, unsafe water, inadequate sanitation or
insufficient hygiene. This link is often due to repeated diarrhoea and
intestinal worm infections as a result of inadequate sanitation.
However, the relative contribution of diarrhea to malnutrition and in
turn stunting remains controversial. In almost all countries, the
poorest quintile of children has the highest rate of malnutrition.
However, inequalities in malnutrition between children of poor and rich
families vary from country to country, with studies finding large gaps
in Peru and very small gaps in Egypt. In 2000, rates of child
malnutrition were much higher in low income countries (36 percent)
compared to middle income countries (12 percent) and the United States
(1 percent). Studies in Bangladesh in 2009 found that the mother’s
literacy, low household income, higher number of siblings, less access
to mass media, less supplementation of diets, unhygienic water and
sanitation are associated with chronic and severe malnutrition in
children.
Diarrhea and other infections can cause malnutrition
through decreased nutrient absorption, decreased intake of food,
increased metabolic requirements, and direct nutrient loss. Parasite
infections, in particular intestinal worm infections (helminthiasis),
can also lead to malnutrition. A leading cause of diarrhea and
intestinal worm infections in children in developing countries is lack
of sanitation and hygiene. Children with chronic diseases like HIV have a
higher risk of malnutrition, since their bodies cannot absorb nutrients
as well. Diseases such as measles are a major cause of malnutrition in
children; thus immunizations present a way to relieve the burden. The
nutrition of children 5 years and younger depends strongly on the
nutrition level of their mothers during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Infants
born to young mothers who are not fully developed are found to have low
birth weights. The level of maternal nutrition during pregnancy can
affect newborn body size and composition. Iodine-deficiency in mothers
usually causes brain damage in their offspring, and some cases cause
extreme physical and mental retardation. This affects the children’s
ability to achieve their full potential (Wagstaff & Naoke, 1999). In
2011 UNICEF reported that thirty percent of households in the
developing world were not consuming iodized salt, which accounted for 41
million infants and newborns in whom iodine deficiency could still be
prevented. Maternal body size is strongly associated with the size of
newborn children. Short stature of the mother and poor maternal
nutrition stores increase the risk of intrauterine growth retardation
(IUGR). However, measurements of a child’s growth provide the key
information for the presence of malnutrition, but weight and height
measurements alone can lead to failure to recognize kwashiorkor and an
underestimation of the severity of malnutrition in children
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Measures
have been taken to reduce child malnutrition. Studies for the World
Bank found that, from 1970 to 2000, the number of malnourished children
decreased by 20 percent in developing countries. Iodine supplement
trials in pregnant women have been shown to reduce offspring deaths
during infancy and early childhood by 29 percent. However, universal
salt iodization has largely replaced this intervention. Nutritional
education and micronutrient-fortified food supplements has resulted in
10 percent reduction and the prevalence of stunting in children 12–36
months old. Milk fortified with zinc and iron reduced the incidence of
diarrhea by 18 percent in children.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following are the objectives of this study:
1. To examine the causes of malnutrition in children from zero to five years.
2. To examine the prevalence of malnutrition in children from zero to five years.
3. To identify the strategies for reducing malnutrition in children from zero to five years.
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