The New Nation - Internet Edition

PHYSICIANS and nutrition scientists told a recent seminar in Dhaka that in a global perspective child malnutrition is the highest in South Asia. It is well understood that Bangladesh is a South Asian country and its child health situation is not any better. But the Health Ministry should make available, a specific picture of the child nutrition situation without which the people remain in the dark. From the experts' disclosure it has come to light that death of one-fifth of the children of below five years of age of this region takes place due to malnutrition. It is unfortunate that children here suffer from malnutrition and then again many of them die of it. This manageable situation has taken a form of fait accompli. The fact remains that the child nutrition situation in this part of the continent was even worse until the 1990s. Over the last some years the situation has slightly improved. Now the task should be to continue with the upward trend and not at all to falter.

Child nutrition, no doubt, depends on economic solvency of the family and the society. But other factors are also involved. Breastfeeding for at least first six months of the child is considered best for the overall growth of the child. Psychiatrists and spiritual preachers are of the opinion that breastfeeding strengthens the relationship between the mother and the child and makes the child a soulmate of the mother which is the best and mightiest bond of human relationship. But urban educated mothers on different pretexts avoid breastfeeding. Erroneously, these mothers observe a practice which is detrimental to their children's physical health and mental growth. By doing so this group of mothers deprive the inherent right of the child to drink her mother's milk. These mothers need to be positively motivated to observe breastfeeding.

Even amid scarcity mothers' awareness about nutritious food can help address the problem to a great extent. They, therefore, need to be first educated and then persuaded to know about the proper food to feed their children. To develop a nation of quality human beings the future citizens should be brought up as healthy and wise beings.