PETALING JAYA: More nutritional and maternal health assistance should be given to targeted groups to prevent stunting among children, say experts.
Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the significant number of stunted schoolchildren showed that little had been done to address the issue since it started becoming prevalent years ago.
She said the Supplementary Food Programme should be revised to focus on areas with high prevalence of stunted growth, while ensuring that only nutritional food is served.
“Stunted growth is caused usually by chronic undernutrition, which is often linked to poor socioeconomic conditions, inadequate maternal health and nutrition, frequent illnesses as well as inappropriate infant and young child feeding practices.
“As such, the Education Ministry should go beyond school programmes and investigate why families in certain neighbourhoods are producing stunted children and offer appropriate assistance,” Noor Azimah said.
She suggested that the ministry use social media to create awareness on the issue, educate the public on food nutrition basics and provide a guide on how to properly budget for nutritious meals.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia professor of public health medicine Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said a multi-faceted approach is needed to address stunting that covers aspects such as nutrition, healthcare and social factors.
She said stunting could make a child susceptible to infectious diseases, and even intellectual impairment.
Prof Sharifa Ezat said key interventions include promoting breastfeeding for the first six months, providing complementary foods and ensuring adequate intake of micronutrients such as iron, iodine and vitamin A.
Others include addressing hygiene, sanitation issues and receiving appropriate vaccinations according to age to prevent infections that cause diarrhoea, pneumonia and chronic ear infections.
Prof Sharifa Ezat said protein intake is also important as it promotes growth.
“Research indicates that children who receive supplements with milk or soy protein along with other nutrients can grow taller, build muscles and reverse the negative trend of stunting.”
She added that high-risk communities, especially lower income families, should be given food and nutrition assistance.
“Do not encourage the consumption of fast food that satisfies hunger but has little nutrition,” she said.
