In August
2012, 18-month-old, malnourished Priya was identified as a case of Severe Acute
Malnutrition (SAM), defined as low weight for height, visible severe wasting,
and swollen feet resulting from tissue retention of water. SAM is the most extreme form of hunger that
leads to 35% of preventable deaths among children under five.
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| photo credit: Suchit Nanda |
Inadequate
complementary feeding seemed to be the main cause of Priya’s poor nutrition
status. Through street plays and mothers’ meetings (topics: nutrition and
growth monitoring), Priya’s mother, Kamlesh, now knew what she didn’t know
earlier and started to feed Priya adequate amounts of food at regular
intervals. Furthermore, Priya was also enrolled in a community based crèche
where she received supplementary nutrition and inculcated the habit of eating
with her companions. Over a period of three months, Priya’s nutritional status
improved from malnutrition grade II to I and after six months she graduated to
the normal grade category.
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