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Follow-up Assessment of Under-nourished Children Under Integrated Child Development Services Scheme in Tapi District,
Kanan T Desai1, Sunil N Nayak2, Prakash B Patel1
1Department of Community Medicine, Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research, Umarwada, Surat, Gujarat, India.
Insights
Maternal education and counseling improve weight gain in undernourished children in India. Regular anganwadi center attendance and completing treatment are crucial for better nutritional outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- India faces a significant global burden of childhood under-nutrition.
- Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) are key facilities for child health and nutrition services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the follow-up status of undernourished children attending AWCs.
- To identify factors influencing nutritional recovery in young children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study involving 529 children (1-6 years) from 50 AWCs in Tapi district.
- Data collected via pre-structured questionnaires and analyzed using Epi-info software.
- Children diagnosed with under-nutrition were assessed after one year.
Main Results:
- Children of literate mothers showed higher weight gain.
- Despite regular AWC attendance for 90% of children, 25% experienced prolonged absence (>1 month).
- Growth faltered in 20% and was stagnant in 63% within a year; however, treated children with counseling and completed courses showed improved weight gain.
Conclusions:
- Parental counseling on child nutritional status is vital.
- Health workers should ensure referrals for undernourished children to higher-level care.
- Further research into supplementary feeding and alternative solutions for long-term under-nutrition is recommended.
Background:
India shares the largest burden of under-nutrition in world. The aim of this study was to conduct follow-up assessment of under-nourished children attending anganwadi center (AWC).
Methods:
This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in 50 AWC of Tapi district. Total 529 children aged 1-6 years diagnosed as under-nourished before 1 year were included. Pre-structured questionnaire was used for present day assessment of these children followed by Epi-info mediated analysis.
Results:
Children of literate mothers had higher weight gain. Ninety percent of children attended anganwadi regularly, however 25% of children dropped out for more than 1 month. In 1 year, growth had faltered in 20% children and was stagnant in 63% of them. Children who were treated for under-nutrition; that completed course at Child Development and Nutrition Center; and whose parents were counseled about the under-nourished status of child had higher weight gain than their counterparts.
Conclusions:
Parents of under-nourished children must be counseled about the nutritional status of their child. In cases of under-nourished child, referral to higher center must be ensured by health worker. Supplementary feeding as a long-term solution to country's under-nutrition problem should be studied in detail with the alternative solutions.
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