Stunting is usually termed for those who are seen not experiencing growth as usual in a person according to his age. Physically, they are seen as smaller and shorter. Parental genetic factors can influence children’s growth patterns and height.
Therefore, many people think that the child’s height is stunted or lower than normal due to parental factors. However, did you know that 80% of your child’s growth depends on what you experience in the first 1000 days of life, from birth to 2 years?
In other words, short or low compared to his peers after being determined based on the measure of length or height with the age of the child. There may be some among of us who think “Parents are stunted. That is why the child is helpless “.
The truth is parents are not the main cause of child stagnation and it can be prevented with 7 tips as shared by the Nutrition Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia.
SHORT PARENTS ARE NOT THE MAIN CAUSE
Have you ever taken your child to a health clinic when a health worker told you that your child had a stunting growth
What is STUNTING GROWTH?
Stunting growth is a height problem that is not in line with age. In other words, shorter or lower than their peers. It is determined based on length or height measurements with the age of the child.
Some of us may think:
“Parents are short. That’s why children are stunted”
Yes, genetic factors can be a cause of stunted but it is not always true in all cases. The main cause of stunted growth is due to chronic malnutrition at an early age. 80% of your child’s growth depends on what you experience in the first 1000 days of life, from the womb to the age of 2 years.
Losing weight compared to age means your child is malnourished (KZM). The lack of weight over a long period of time causes his body to not only not have enough nutrients to grow, but not enough to gain weight. Do not be surprised if you find parents who are tall but their children are stunted.
So, if you are a short parent, you have the opportunity to have a high child by making sure healthy eating practices start from the beginning!
Prevent STUNTED GROWTH by:
- Make sure to gain weight according to the recommendations during pregnancy
- Make sure blood or Hb readings during pregnancy, 11.0 gm% and above
- Give breast milk only (exclusively) to babies from birth to 6 months old.
- Start complementary foods at the age of 6 months. Feed according to the recommended texture and frequency. Avoid giving coffee, tea and cola to growing children. (It can inhibit the absorption of calcium which is important for bones)
- And most importantly, MAKE SURE THE WEIGHT, HEIGHT AND BMI OF THE CHILD IS SUITABLE WITH AGE. Take the child to the health clinic according to the appointment set for continuous monitoring.
Let us take care of the next generation – Malaysian children who are about to be born or are growing up. Take care of children’s nutrition from the beginning. Prevent before suffering. So that your child grows up healthy and healthy always.
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