Toddlers Are Also Vulnerable to Stunting

INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta - The Findings of Faith and Religion Forum (LIGA) Prevent Stunting in the field indicates that stunting or chronic malnutrition affecting toddler growth is not only found among underweight but also vulnerable children in the middle class.

"About 29 percent of middle-aged toddlers also experience stunting," said Secretary of LIGA Prevent Stunting Hudallah in Jakarta, Friday (23/3/2018).

Hudallah said that the wrong pattern of care in the middle class can happen because not the parents themselves who take care of the child, but surrendered the care of the caregiver.

Or because of lack of understanding of exclusive breastfeeding until the baby is two years old and prefer to give formula milk.

Stunting due to nutritional deficiencies in a long time that is in the first 1,000 days of toddler life. In addition to malnutrition, can also be caused by bacteria or germ infections and lifestyle that is not clean.

Stunting in Indonesia is still quite high, reaching 37 percent or about nine million children under stunting under Riskesdas 2013 data.

Stunting can have an impact on impaired brain development and physical, difficult achievement where the intelligence is 11 points lower than normal children, susceptible to disease and in adulthood easy to suffer from obesity.

According to Hudallah, interventions initiated in some areas by the LIGA Prevent Stunting Forum, such as posyandu activation, encourage nursing mothers and pregnant women, home visits to ensure proper parenting and sanitation interventions.

Therefore, the government through Bappenas will hold Summit Stunting on March 26-28 to reaffirm the commitment of all parties to handle stunting. (Ant)