A silent killer affecting immune system

Malnutrition affects the immune system of children, reducing the body’s ability to fight diseases. According to P. Sudershan Reddy, Superintendent of Niloufer Hospital, as many as 55 per cent of malnourished children die of various diseases.

A report by the Health, Nutrition, and Population Family (HNP) of the World Bank’s Human Development Network cites how malnutrition has been estimated to be associated with about half of all child deaths and more than half of child deaths from major diseases like malaria (57 percent), diarrhoea (61 percent) and pneumonia (52 percent), as well as 45 percent of deaths from measles (45 percent).

However, severe malnourishment constitutes only 0.5 to one per cent of the malnutrition cases, says Dr. A. Tilak Chandra Pal, president of twin cities wing of Indian Academy of Paediatrics. “60 to 70 per cent of school-going children suffer from mild to moderate malnourishment.”

Malnutrition, surprisingly, is not confined to the lower strata of the society alone. According to Dr. Pal, even middle and upper classes are susceptible if they don’t have knowledge of the nutrition value of foods.

According to paediatricians, malnourishment could start from as early as pregnancy stage. “An expecting mother has to have nutritious food if the baby is to be healthy,” says Dr. P. Sudershan Reddy, Superintendent of Niloufer Hospital. The HNP report affirms this: “Around 30 percent of Indian children are born with low birth weight, and is largely irreversible.”

“After birth, the baby has to be only breastfed milk for the first six months. Thereafter nutritious food and breast milk have to be given till the baby reaches two years age,” Dr.Reddy says.

“High pressure branding of baby food products is sending a wrong message to the public as often, mothers presume baby food is healthier than breast milk. There is nothing healthier than mother’s milk,” says V. Aditya, a junior doctor.

Nutrition for the first two years is vital as human brain develops during the first two years. “Millions of processes, connections and chemicals are generated during the first two years. Malnourishment affects brain growth and interferes in its internal functioning,” says Dr. Pal.