KARACHI, Jan 14: Some 80 to 90 per cent of children, admitted to the Paediatrics Department Unit-I of the Civil Hospital, were found to be extremely malnourished and hence in a difficult position to resist a wide range of ailments.

Doctors associated with the unit told APP that those children were exposed to a vicious circle, whereby because of a poor nutritional status they were in a difficult position to resist diseases, while the ailments further affecting their immunity would add to their malnourishment.

Dr Fehmina Arif of the department, elaborating the situation, mentioned that kids born to mothers with poor health status and also not lactated after delivery, and above all denied of clean environment, failed to develop effective defence mechanism and ultimately undergo bouts of severe infections manifested through diarrhoea, congestion and high fever.

Inability of parents or concerned health-care providers to extend timely and proper medical intervention ultimately exposes the kids to conditions as gastroenteritis or pneumonia or acute deficiency of Vitamin A or anaemia or more than one of these at any single point of time.

“These ailments again lead to conditions as heavy episodes of diarrhoea, leaving the child in little position to resist any infection,” Dr Fehmina said, adding that the scenario might even lead to death or severely hamper physical and/or mental development of unfortunate children.

The Nutritional Rehabilitation Unit, operating under the supervision of Prof D.S. Akram, head of Paediatrics Department of the hospital, for the last several years, is providing specially prepared food, commonly known as high-density diet to the malnourished children brought from all parts of Sindh as well as Balochistan.

Dr Muzzafar, who is associated with the unit, said calories calculated in accordance with the need of each child were catered to them, deduced through sources, including pulse, rice, flour, sugar, milk, etc.

All these are procured by the doctors of the unit, with the exception that at times some additional items are provided by the hospital’s kitchen.

Dr Fehmina said that Lady Health Visitors of the Paediatrics Department along with doctors had also undertaken the responsibility to sensitise mothers, visiting the Out-Patient Department, about the significance of proper diet and their sources, which may not necessarily be expensive or beyond their means.

The importance of breast milk and measures to help improve health status of the lactating mothers along with right mode to breast feed the babies are also discussed with mothers.—APP