Inadequate nutrition during early childhood, which can affect growth and development if not addressed early.
Malnutrition in early childhood affects far more than just weight — it can impact physical growth, brain development and long-term learning ability if not addressed during the critical early years. The encouraging news is that with early identification and the right nutritional support, most children recover well.
Causes range from inadequate breastfeeding or complementary feeding, to recurrent infections that increase nutritional needs while reducing appetite, to broader food insecurity at the household level. Often it's a combination of factors rather than a single cause.
Treatment depends on severity — mild cases often respond to nutritional counselling and dietary changes at home, while more significant malnutrition may need therapeutic feeding support and closer monitoring. Regular growth monitoring visits are how we catch faltering growth early, well before it becomes severe.
Ask us about: growth monitoring for children under five during any outpatient or immunisation visit.
