Malnutrition in Children
Written by: Muhammad Arif Rahimi
According to the information provided by UNICEF, about 2 million children are suffering from malnutrition in Afghanistan most of them are under 5 years.
AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some parents and a physician about this disease.
Maryam, a resident of Murghab district, Badghis province says: “My nephew has lost his parents in the battle and now he is suffering from malnutrition. His feet are swollen and he is suffering from diarrhea too.”
Zarbakhta, a resident of Shindant district, Herat province says: “It is the 6th month that my grandson is suffering from malnutrition. He doesn’t go to sleep at all. He so weak that his chest’s bones are visible to everyone.”
Doctor Sediqullah Shahid, a pediatrician at Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital, Kabul city says: “There two types malnutrition children. The first type children are very weak; they do not have an appetite; their body skin wrinkles, lose their weight and look like aged people and they are suffering from Anemia.
The second type children have thin chests and their feet look fat due to the inflammation. They suffer from vomiting and diarrhea and they become ill soon and if not treated on time, they might die.”
What do people think about the causes of this disease?
Maryam, a resident of Farah province says: “As he was my first child and I had no experience of caring baby and my milk was not enough for him, he became malnourished.”
Another woman says: “Not taking in consideration the pregnancy gap might also be the cause of malnutrition because the mother would not be able to feed two children at the same time.”
Doctor Shahid says: “There are different causes of malnutrition. Not paying attention to the cleanliness of the baby; not feeding on time; the short gap between pregnancy; not applying childhood vaccines and so more.”
How could people prevent malnutrition in children?
Khadija, a resident of Kabul city says: “I am the mother of 3 children. I feed them on time and pay attention to their foods and they are healthy.”
Nazif, a resident of Maidan-Wardak province says: “I am a father of 6 children. When any of them feels sick, I take him/her to the doctor and I have applied them all childhood vaccines and none of them is faced with malnutrition yet.”
Doctor Shahid says about the feeding of babies: “All babies should be exclusively breastfed for six months, then gradually introduced to appropriate family foods after six months while continuing to breastfeed for two years or beyond. Some babies decrease the number of breastfeeds as they begin to be able to digest solid food. The parents should apply all childhood vaccines to their babies; if the baby becomes sick, they should be treated on time and pay more attention to their cleanliness.”