Concern over child malnutrition

COLOMBO: Doctors at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) for Children have made a startling discovery, with studies showing that 20% of children admitted to the hospital suffer from malnutrition.

While the cause of malnutrition can be attributed to the ongoing economic crisis and food shortage, the situation could be averted if the children are given more vegetables to eat, Consultant Paediatrician at the hospital Dr. Deepal Perera said.

“Last week we tested 53 children in ward No. 02 of the hospital. We found out that among them, 20% of the children in the ward are malnourished. Half of them had also suffered from severe acute malnutrition and this is a challenging situation.”

Dr. Perera said that the test was conducted after it was observed that the weight and the height of the of the children was below par.

“This was because the children are not receiving carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and vitamins in the required quantities. […] After 6 months, breast milk is not enough to provide nutrition to the child, so certain food items should be introduced,” he added.