Stunting shocker

LAHORE: Pakistan is among the top three countries for stunting — low height for age — with 40.2 per cent of children (12 million) under the age of five facing irreversible physical and mental disorder due to malnutrition and unhygienic conditions, while 28.9pc children are underweight for their relevant ages.

According to the National Nutrition Survey, the number of overweight cases has doubled in the last seven years; jumping from a mere 5 per cent in 2011 to 9.5pc till 2018.

Stunting is irreversible after children reach their second birthday, and he/she grows up physically and mentally weaker than the better-fed and nurtured children. The drop in the rate of breastfeeding, poor maternal and child health nutrition, and the unhygienic environment are the factors responsible for the high prevalence of diseases and abnormal growth in children.

“The prevalence of stunting is much higher than the revealed estimate. Usually, the surveys focus [on] slums and areas of the poor. But even children hailing from well-off families are victims of stunting and other abnormalities due to the lack of physical activities and bad eating habits. At least eight out of 10 children are facing stunting and other complications due to less water intake and malnutrition or unhealthy eating habits”, said Dr Abdul Rauf, a leading family physician who is running a clinic in the congested Lahore locality of Usman Gunj.

He said that unhealthy lifestyle, consumption of fast food, carbonated water and less water intake were the causes of high prevalence of stunting among children of rich families.

“Controlling malnutrition and improving hygiene are necessary to save the future generation from physical and mental disorders. Habits of early breakfast, enhanced water intake and physical activities can considerably decrease stunting and other disorders,” he also said.

Dr Rauf said that unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits of pregnant mothers could cause negative impact on the health of babies. “Breastfeeding is the best option for infants. It helps in normal growth and saves infants from diseases,” he said while urging parents, teachers, civil society and the media to play due role for checking malnutrition and raising awareness regarding the benefits of healthy lifestyle and eating habits.

Besides abnormalities, malnutrition and bad eating habits also weaken children’ immune system, leaving them vulnerable to more diseases.

“Malnutrition and comorbidities like diarrhoea, dysentery and fever are the major reasons behind children getting infected [with] polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases even after getting multiple doses of vaccines,” he informed.

Most of the polio victims receive seven or more doses of oral polio vaccine. “The children with weak immunity fail to produce antibodies (shield against polio) from the vaccine. As such they are not immune and can contract the poliovirus. The vaccine is useless if administered to a child with weak immunity, bad stomach or if he/she vomits after getting the dose,” Dr Rauf added.

“The pregnant mothers need extra care and more nutrition-rich food than usual. In addition to meat, vegetables and pulses, they need iron and calcium supplements to cope up with the growing nutritional requirements during pregnancy”, said pediatric consultant Dr Khuzaima, adding that there is no substitute for breastfeeding.

“Breastfeeding provides required nutrition to the infants and saves them from physical disorders like stunting and wasting. It also provides them immunity against diseases”, he said, adding that ‘formula’ milk could be the choice if breastfeeding was not possible due to unavoidable reasons.

“Formula milk should be continued for one year from the child’s birth, and after that the child could be given cow or buffalo milk,” he added.