Globally, nearly half of under-5 child deaths every year
are attributed to undernutrition, which weakens the
body’s resistance to illness.
If a woman is malnourished during pregnancy or if her child
is malnourished in the first 1000 days of life, the child’s
physical and mental growth and development will be
slowed. This cannot be corrected when the child is older – it
will affect the child for the rest of his or her life.
Undernutrition develops when the body does not get the
proper amount of energy (calories), proteins, carbohydrates,
fats, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients required to keep
the organs and tissues healthy and functioning well. A child
or adult can be malnourished by being undernourished or
overnourished.
What every family and community has a right to know
about nutrition:
1. A young child should grow and gain weight rapidly.
From birth, children should be weighed regularly to assess
growth. If regular weighing shows that the child is not
gaining weight, or the parents or other caregivers see the
child is not growing, something is wrong. The child needs to
be seen by a trained health worker.
2. Breastmilk alone is the only food and drink an infant
needs in the first six months of life. After six months, a
baby needs a variety of other foods in addition to breastmilk
to ensure healthy growth and development.
3. From the age of 6 months, due to increasing energy
needs, a child needs to eat two to three times per day,
from 9-23 months, three to four times per day – in
addition to breastfeeding. Depending on the child’s appetite,
one or two nutritious snacks, such as fruit or bread with nut
paste, may be needed between meals. The baby should be
fed small amounts of food that steadily increase in variety
and quantity as he or she grows.
4. Feeding times are periods of learning, love and
interaction, which promote physical, social and emotional
growth and development. The parent or other caregiver
should talk to children during feeding, and treat and feed
girls and boys equally and patiently.
5. Infants and young children need extra vitamin A to
help resist illness, protect their eyesight and help them
grow. Vitamin A can be found in many fruits and vegetables,
red palm oil, eggs, dairy products, liver, fish, meat, fortified
foods and breastmilk. In areas where vitamin A deficiency is
common, high-dose vitamin A supplements can also be
given every four to six months to children aged 6 months to
5 years.
6. Children need iron-rich foods to protect their physical
and mental abilities and to prevent anaemia. The best
sources of iron are animal sources, such as liver, lean meats
and fish. Other good sources are iron-fortified foods and
iron supplements.
7. Iodine in a pregnant woman’s and young child’s diet is
especially critical for the development of the child’s
brain. It is essential to help prevent learning disabilities and
delayed development. Using iodized salt instead of ordinary
salt provides pregnant women and their children with as
much iodine as they need.
8. As the child’s intake of food and drink increases, the
risk of diarrhoea substantially increases. Food
contamination is a major cause of diarrhoea and other
illnesses that cause children to lose nutrients and energy
needed for growth and development. Good hygiene, safe
water and proper food handling, preparation and storing
are crucial to prevent illnesses.
9. During an illness, children need additional fluids and
encouragement to eat regular meals, and breastfeeding
infants need to breastfeed more often. After an illness,
children need to be offered more food than usual to
replenish the energy and nourishment lost due to the
illness.
10. Very thin and/or swollen children need special
medical care. They should be taken to a trained health
worker or health facility for assessment and treatment.
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