KARACHI, July 22: Almost 25 to 30 per cent of all newborn infants are born with low weight i.e weighing under 2.5 kg at the time of birth.

The situation remains unchanged for years because the nutrition programmes launched by the successive government did not leave any significant impact on society.

Prof. Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, writes in the Journal of College of Physicians & Surgeons, Pakistan, that the root cause of early childhood malnutrition is the state of maternal malnutrition.

The problem of malnutrition is widespread in Pakistan, a country that has been self-sufficient in food production, he says, adding the relationship between food production and consumption is rather complex as food availability at a household level may not necessarily mean food security for all members of the household. Beside other factors, poor access to health facilities, low literacy rate, cultural practices and beliefs also contribute to maternal malnutrition.

It is thus not surprising that women in Pakistan are likely to be malnourished largely due to their under-privileged position in society, he suggests.

Maternal malnutrition leads to childhood malnutrition as malnourished mothers give birth to low-birth weight infants. Those who survive, become under-nourished children and adolescents. With early marriages and lack of contraceptive practice, these young adolescents soon become pregnant themselves, putting an additional strain on their already deprived bodies.

These malnourished women then give birth to further low-birth weight babies, leading to vicious cycle of persistent malnutrition.

Prof. Bhutta stressed that it must be recognized that nutrition is more than food and poverty is more than mere income or assets.

A number of nutrition related programmes were launched in Pakistan during the last 50 years supported by external aid and grants but the net impact of such programmes has been negligible in terms of nutrition awareness or improvement.

He suggested launching of community-based programmes to create demand for nutrition.

Currently about nine programmes are under way that include iron-folate supplementation for pregnant women to reduce rate of anaemia; ghee fortification with vitamin A and D for general population; World Food Programme Supplementation (oil and sugar for needy households); Sindh Nutrition Programme; National Salt Iodization programme for general population, etc..—PPI