Malnutrition haunts citys slumkids……Pratibha Masand
Mumbai: Fourteen-monthold Kalpeshs skeletal frame is hidden by the mishmash of tubes that have been inserted into his nose and arms to feed him.The infant,who weighs 5 kg now,was a kilo lighter when his mother Bharti Padvar (24) brought him to JJ Hospital.Lying on a bed next to Kalpesh is one-year-old Sehram,who also weighs 5 kg.Both the kids suffer from Grade IV malnutrition (when a child weighs less than 50% of the normal range for his/ her age).While Kalpesh is from Bhandups Ramabai Nagar slum,Sehram resides in Kaula Bunder,Reay Road.
According to the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP),there are 8 million severely malnourished children in the country.In addition to this,India has 62 million kids who are stunted due to malnutrition.The grade system in malnutrition has been changed by the World Health Organization (WHO).Now,there are only three catagoriesnormal children,kids who are moderately underweight and severely underweight kids, P Munde,deputy director of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).
Fifteen-month-old Sakshi weighs less than half of what a healthy child her age would weigh.However,her parents are not ready to accept that their child is malnourished.The doctors will give her medicine and she will be fine, said Bandu Bamne,who works as a waiter in a restaurant.
Dr Ashok Rathod,head of pediatric department at JJ Hospital,said,An 18-monthold baby should weigh around 12-13 kg.Anything below half that weight is dangerous.These children have lower immunity,which makes them vulnerable to diseases.
In the Govandi-Mankhurd belt alone,there is a 66.47% mortality rate and most of the deaths occur due to malnutrition,said Leena Joshi,director of NGO Apnalaya.
ICDS distributes supplementary nutrition through 5,000 anganwadis in Mumbai.But ICDS does not support slums that are illegal or were developed post 2000, said Joshi.
* SORRY STATE: India has 8 million severely malnourished children