Zistboom: Iran has made significant progress in mitigating child malnutrition since past 20 years. Dr. Gholamreza Khatami, the head of Iranian Society of Pediatricians, said child malnutrition has reduced to 6 percent compared with the corresponding rates of 20 years ago, which exceeded 14 percent.
A report released by Imam khomeini Relief Foundation in April announced over 200,000 Iranian children under the age of 6 suffer from malnutrition, Mehr News Agency reported.

Khatami, who is a pediatric gastroenterologist, said Iranian households have been informed about child nutrition that has helped reduce malnutrition nationwide.

"In spite of the significant achievements in easing the effects of child malnutrition, especially in the northern regions of the country, measures need to be taken to alleviate concerns about nutritional deficiencies in deprived provinces such as Sistan-Baluchestan and Kerman,” he said.

The official noted that ignorance about child nutrition, lack of access to nutritive products and poverty have resulted in severe malnutrition in these areas.

"Children in Sistan-Baluchestan are in pressing need of essential vitamins such as A, B and C,” he said.

The specialist announced that Iran’s Health Ministry has spared no efforts to enrich food product with nutritive supplements such as iron and vitamin D to prevent common diseases.

"Iodine deficiency used to be the main cause of goiter, but the use of iodized salt has helped reduce this disorder,” he said.

Khatami also said enriching bread with iron and folic acid plays a crucial role in ameliorating child health.

He stressed that all essential vitamins and nutritive products should be included in the daily diet of children.

Khatami noted that supplements such as vitamins A+D drop and iron are recommended only for under-2-year-old children.

"Food products meet daily nutritional requirements of over 2-year-old children,” he said, warning parents not to use supplements arbitrarily in their children’s dietary programs.

Malnutrition occurs when there is a deficiency of certain vital nutrients in a person’s diet. The deficiency fails to meet the demands of the body leading to effects on the growth, physical health, mood, behavior and other functions of the body. It commonly affects children and the elderly.

By Zistboom 

 


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