KARACHI, Jan 31: To combat micro nutrient deficiency among South Asian children reporting with stunted growth, low IQ and high rate of disease-induced mortality and morbidity , experts highly recommended a diversified diet, besides preferably home-based food fortification of wheat, oil, salt, etc.

Experts including Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta (Aga Khan University), Dr D K Gupta (All India Institute of Medical Sciences - New Delhi) and Prof Stan Zlotkin (Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto - Canada), during the plenary session of the NICH Symposium on Sunday mentioned that malnutrition was registered in ten million South Asian children, every year.

Dr Bhutta, referring to the first National Nutritional Survey, conducted by him in 2002, mentioned that iron deficiency persisted among 67 per cent of all local children below the age of four years, adding that almost an equal prevalence of zinc deficiency could be noticed in them.

Micro nutrient deficiency was stated to expedite occurrence of killer diseases as diarrhoea, measles, malaria and acute respiratory tract infections, anaemia, besides goitre.

The paediatricians reminded that shoddy nutritional status of children was directly linked to poor health status of Pakistani mothers, who co-incidentally reported with iron and zinc deficiency.

"Enigma of low birth is commonly prevalent in almost all South Asian countries", the experts reminded, referring to the fact that vicious circle of micro nutrient deficiency in mothers was the major cause of low birth deliveries.

They sought proper understanding on part of local families enabling them not only to ensure a balanced diet for mothers, but also food supplementation for low-weight babies in particular and food diversification for all children in general.

Dr Bhutta, elaborating the strategy, underscored the need for more food supplements for low-weight babies, who were on cereals in stead of meat or vegetables, further intensifying zinc deficiency.

"Some strategy should be there, either zinc be added or food rich in zinc be taken," Prof Bhutta said, mentioning that zinc losses also enhanced diarrhoeal episodes.

All speakers, as well as other participants of the symposium, including senior paediatricians from India, Prof R.N. Srivastava, Prof Iftikhar Ahmed Jan, and Prof Afroze Jamal, were unanimous that poverty alleviation and public health were the issues that South Asian governments ought to address through realistic modification in their national priorities, besides an effective public education programme to convince parents for right choice of diet.

It was also observed that paediatricians could play a meaningful role in bringing change in the eating habits and dietary pattern of families. Dr Bhutta, in this context, particularly mentioned that soaking and fumigation of wheat, a common practice in NWFP, was identified to cause the highest incidence of zinc deficiency among local children as compared to their counterparts based in other parts of the country.

In his presentation, "Impact of Micro-Nutrients Programme on Health Parameters" highlighting possible interventions, he said besides necessary food diversification, iron fortification in wheat, vitamin-A fortification in oil and ghee, iodised salt and other food items could effectively help contain the high incidence of wide range of diseases.

Prof Zlokin, in his presentation, "Iron Deficiency Through the Use of Home Fortified Complementary Foods" observed that infants kept exclusively on mother's milk and introduced late to supplements might commonly be witnessed with low weight. The expert strongly recommended home-based fortification of food.

Currently, available evidence established that home-based or otherwise fortifications in food, besides food diversification largely contributed in reduction of child deaths, Dr Zlokin said.

He, in this context, also referred to Iron drops for children, considered as gold standard in most parts of the world. Coated sprinkles of these drops were said to be also available in sachets and this when sprinkled on food items does not cause any change in the taste, becoming generally acceptable for children.

Surgeon D K Gupta, in his presentation, 'Neural Tube Defects', highlighting the considerable high prevalence of congenital malformation, said that two per cent of such cases reported with live births and 10 per cent of the very two per cent required surgical intervention, which itself was not a very safe option. Prof Gupta, said complications included paralysis of limbs and bowel syndrome. -APP