Suara.com – Stunting aka children growing stunted and short is a child’s health problem that needs special attention. Because, there are still parents who think their children grow up short and thin only because of heredity.
Whereas according to pediatrician Dr. dr. Meta Hanindita, Sp.A(K), is not as simple as that. Meta said stunting was more closely related to nutritional intake and nutrition, both when pregnant women, breastfeeding, and when children had eaten solid food.
“For example, when giving MPASI (complementary food to breast milk) there are still those who use a single menu for children over two years old. They think, ‘Oh, after 2 years, they eat more freely’, but then they are free without taking into account how much animal protein they have, how many sources of fat, and so on,” said Meta quoting ANTARA.
He said parents often take the food menu for toddlers over two years lightly. In fact, added Meta, the period after the first 1,000 days of child growth is also an important period.
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“Even though the first 1,000 days are a critical period, the period after that, 2 to 5 years is still a period of rapid growth and development of children,” said the doctor who is a member of the Indonesian Association. Pediatrician Indonesia (IDAI).
Therefore, the possibility of stunting can still occur in toddlers up to the age of 5 years, even though the percentage of stunting cases in that period is not as high as compared to the first 1,000 days.
The 2018 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) shows that the stunting rate in Indonesia is still in the range of 30.8 percent, meaning that 1 in 3 toddlers in Indonesia is still stunted.
“That’s a pretty high number. Therefore, President Jokowi also ordered the acceleration of reducing the stunting rate to 14 percent,” continued Meta.
Stunting is a condition of prolonged nutritional deficiency that causes toddlers to have less length or height. Stunting is measured by a length or height that is more than minus two standard deviations of the median child growth standard from the WHO.
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“Stunting has many impacts, ranging from decreased body resistance, decreased IQ, decreased educational and work capacity, to increased risk of various diseases as adults,” said Meta.
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