Key Points
Children under 5 years of age in India, living at higher altitudesover 2,000 metres above sea levelmay be at about 40 per cent higher risk of stunted growth, according to a study on Friday...
The study, published in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health, showed that despite various initiatives, childhood stunting, caused by chronic malnutrition, remains a major public health challenge in India, affecting over a third of five-year-olds...
In recent decades, public health interventions in India have effectively tackled previously prevalent nutritional problems, such as iodine deficiency, which are associated with living at higher altitudes, said Professor Sumantra Ray, Executive Director of the NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, a think tank...
The study showed that the mothers education, proper antenatal care, such as clinic visits, tetanus vaccination, and iron and folic acid supplements; and proximity to health facilities acted as protective factors against stunting..
You might be interested in
Adding zinc to farmland soil can help prevent childhood stunting in India: Study
02, Sep, 23Adding zinc to farmland soil can help prevent childhood stunting -- a condition due to chronic undernutrition -- in India, according to a study.