The immediate cause of malnutrition is a lack of food. But serious reasons lie in the social, economic, cultural features and in the environment. The most common among these reasons is poverty, because millions of people live in poverty, especially in developing countries. Although poverty is the main reason for the lack of food, it, in turn, is a consequence of constant malnutrition, since the labor productivity of people suffering from this disaster decreases and they become even poorer.
These are far from all factors that deepen the problem. Lack of knowledge leads to malnutrition. Infections also worsen the state of affairs. In addition, there are such social and cultural factors as unequal distribution of food and discrimination of women. Often women eat “last and last”, t. e. After men and fewer men. Women are also deprived of the opportunity to learn, then how education would help them take care of their children better.
In addition to the environmental problems, they lead to a decrease in the volume of food production. The situation is aggravated by natural disasters and wars. According to the report of the FAO for 2001, only in the period from October 1999 to June 2001, 22 countries suffered from drought, 17 from hurricanes and floods, 14 had wars or armed conflicts, 3 was a particularly harsh winter, 3 was a particularly harsh winter. and 2 countries suffered from earthquakes.
Treatment and prevention
How to help a child who has long been? In the case of a severe form of malnutrition, the child needs hospitalization. According to the instructions published by WHO, doctors first assess the condition of the child and treat him from infectious diseases or dehydration. Begin to feed gradually, mainly through a tube. This stage can last about a week.
Therefore, the rehabilitation period begins. The baby is again given breast milk and try to give him more food. Currently, an important role is played by emotional and physical incentives. It is impossible to overestimate the value of careful care and affection for the development of the baby. Then you can teach the mother the basics of proper nutrition and hygiene in order to prevent malnutrition in the future. Then the child is taken from the hospital, but for a certain time he should be under the supervision of doctors.
Of course, prevention is much better from treatment. Therefore, in many countries of the government and private organizations have introduced additional food programs or programs for the production of general consumption of high quality. Public organizations also contribute to the prevention of hunger and chronic malnutrition. For example, they organize courses in which they teach the basics of proper nutrition, take care of the purity of drinking water, build toilets, fight for the purity of the environment, invest money in vaccination and observe the growth and development of children.
And what can individual people do? Children’s nutritionist Khorhina Tussient recommends that mothers regularly come to pediatricians: first a week after the birth of a child, then, when the baby is a month and then monthly. Mother must necessarily consult a doctor if the child has symptoms of dehydration, severe diarrhea or fever.
Although these recommendations for improving the nutrition of children are smart and useful, it should be recognized that hunger and malnutrition are a great problem, so big that a person cannot solve it. The British Encyclopedia says: “The problem of access to everyone and everyone in the appropriate amount of food products and to information about rational nutrition still does not lose its relevance”.