Stunting, wasting and underweight and their prevention methods

Nutritional problems are rampant in our country because of knowledge, cultural and economic problems. Malnutrition is the term used to describe under or over nourishment of the body.

Undernutrition (lack of the required nutrients) contributes to more than 50% of all deaths in children under the age of five Wasting / low weight for height/ is far less common in children (only 10%). Acute malnutrition (wasting) puts children vulnerable to complication and death.

Stunting is a form of chronic undernutrition. According to the 2011 EDH survey, the prevalence of stunting / too short for their age/ or chronic undernutrition is 44%. Chronic undernutrition or. Stunting is most common among children age 24-35 months (57%).

Twenty-nine percent of Ethiopian children are underweight (the weight of the child is less than it should for their age) or too thin for their age and this is an indicator of both acute and chronic malnutrition. In general, undernourished child struggles to withstand an attack of illnesses (pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, acute respiratory infection, etc.). Children who survive undernutrition / underweight and stunting/ may become locked in a cycle of recurring illness, poor growth, diminishing physical health, and irreversible damage to growth and development.

For girls, chronic undernutrition in early life, either before birth or during early childhood can later lead to their babies being born with low birth weight, which can again lead to undernutrition as these babies grow older. Thus a vicious cycle of under nutrition repeats itself, generation after generation.

Infants with low birth weight may never recover from their early disadvantage. Like other undernourished children, they may be susceptible to infectious disease and death. In many developing countries, the low status of women is considered to be one of the primary reasons for undernutrition across the life cycle.

The current way of classifying malnutrition, based on the findings of nutritional assessment and criteria of classification is Sever acute malnutrition, Moderate Acute malnutrition and No malnutrition / Normal/. The former classification of malnutrition was Marasmus, Kwashiorkor, Marasmic-Kwash and Protein Energy malnutrition / PEM/ are no longer in use but for the sake of information the terms are defined below.