Tamil Nadu: First 1,000 days of baby crucial in addressing malnutrition among kids

CHENNAI: Brainstorming on the concerns of malnutrition among children, the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission has released a set of recommendations to the government.

The document has explained the importance of adequate nourishment in early childhood for healthy physical and cognitive development, as well as strong immunity, enabling children to thrive.

The key recommendations include prioritising the first 1,000 days of the baby while extending interventions to pre-pregnancy and adolescence, including the status of anaemia among children as a standing agenda item in monthly School Management Committee meetings and addressing the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (high cholesterol, low HDL, high triglycerides, hypertension, and obesity) in children. Other recommendations are implementing community sensitisation strategies that cover perception assessment, information sessions, structured scheduling, and targeted information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns, renewing focus on improving complementary feeding practices, increasing diet diversity and clear communication regarding inappropriate infant foods.

It also pointed out the need for revamping Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and mid-day meal programmes by incorporating fortified foods, fruits, and diverse protein sources while also expanding micronutrient supplementation with an emphasis on Vitamin C for enhanced iron absorption.

Other recommendations include deworming initiatives, and fortified food distribution, implementing innovative behaviour change programmes leveraging the ‘antecedent, behaviour, and consequence’ (ABC) model, social media, gamification, and audio-visual media for effective nutrition education and organising training for anganwadi workers to ensure sustainable nutrition and health support for children with severe acute malnutrition and moderate acute malnutrition.