Antallet af småbørn, som er under normal størrelse, kan nedbringes dramatisk, hvis tre ting er på plads: Nærende mad, ordentlig sundhedspleje til mødre og børn samt god hygiejne. Det konkluderer en ny stor rapport fra Verdensbanken.
NEW DELHI, 13th November, 2014 (World bank): Stunting (Described as low height for age) in Indian children, 6 to 24 months of age, could be dramatically reduced if children receive three things that are critical for good nutrition: Adequate feeding, health care and environmental health, says a new World Bank report.
The report analyzes data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2005-06 and the HUMGaMA Survey 2011 to indicate a strong co-relation between stunting in children and their adequacy or inadequacy in these three dimensions.
The three key determinants critical for good nutrition:
Food care: Minimum acceptable diet as defined by WHO (0-6 months: be exclusively breastfed, not fed even water; between 6-8 months along with breastmilk be fed at least twice a day with foods from three or more food groups; between 9-24 months: be fed at least three times a day with foods from four or more food groups)
Health care: Regular and timely antenatal visits, age appropriate immunizations, birth through skilled attendant, mother’s Body Mass Index (BMI) being greater than the threshold
Environmental health: Good hygiene with proper water and sanitation practices.
Also effective in the poorest areas
The report, “Nutrition in India”, shows that stunting rate in children with adequate feeding, health care and environmental health is half as compared to those with none of these in adequate measure – 23 percent as compared to 52 percent in children who have inadequacies in all dimensions.
Even states and districts with poor nutrition outcomes, as well as rural areas show a similar trend.
For example, in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh the prevalence (udbredelsen) of stunting in children with adequate feeding, care and environmental health is 30 percent as compared to 54 percent in those who have none of these in adequate measure.
In 100 rural districts (Ranked as being at the bottom of the human development index), surveyed by HUNGaMA 2011, stunting amongst those who have adequate feeding, care and sanitation is 20 percent as compared to 52 percent amongst those who were adequate in none.
Similarly, in rural areas, although a very tiny proportion of children (less than 1 percent) have all adequacies, stunting is much lower in this group (16 percent) compared to 51 percent who are inadequate in all three.
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http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/11/13/india-potential-to-dramatically-reduce-stunting-in-children-new-world-bank-report
Begynd fra: “The report, available as an eBook, comprises 11 policy briefs….”
