With more than a quarter of children under the age of five being underweight, children in the national Capital may encounter stunted growth making them vulnerable to various diseases, a National Family Health Survey revealed on Tuesday. The data revealed that around 27.3 per cent of children in Delhi are underweight with age-weight ratio falling below than the recommended standards of World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to Raghuram Mallaiah, Director, Neonatology at New Delhi's Fortis La Femme, the malnutrition, in long run, can hinder a child's physical and mental development.
Malnutrition is not just lack of food but it is a combination of factors like insufficient protein, energy and micronutrients, poor care and feeding practices, inadequate health services, frequent infections or disease, and poor water and sanitation.