"We must prevent stunting, so that the next generation of the nation is of (good) quality," Head of the Public Health Division at the Lebak Health Office Nurul Isneini stated on Friday.
The preventive efforts entailed focusing on pregnant women's health and nutritional intake and also taking care of such women for a thousand days starting from 275 days of pregnancy to 730 days since birth.
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Isneini stated that toddlers over two years of age must receive services from integrated health services posts, so that their growth and development could be monitored according to age, weight, and height.
It was also important to provide exclusive breast milk to children apart from offering other foods with complementing nutritional values, such as protein.
The local government also assisted pregnant women and malnourished children under five years of age by providing biscuits, milk, and vitamin A in addition to offering blood-supplementing tablets to teenage girls and conducting checks of pregnant women.
Isnaeni affirmed that the office never stopped advocating for stunting prevention and educated personnel of health facilities to strive to meet that goal.
She remarked that children, with stunted growth, will experience slow brain development in their future, thereby resulting in mental retardation.
They were also prone to falling sick, having less ability to think, exhibiting not-so-optimal body development as adults, and unbalanced bodily functions, as well as a high risk of contracting chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity, when they got older.
In 2021, some 6,495 or 6.38 percent of the 101,073 children under five in Lebak District experienced stunting, which she deemed was a high rate of cases.
So far, the handling of stunting cases has involved relevant agencies, so that children are ensured good nutrition.
Likewise, prospective pregnant women could be treated to ensure receiving good nutrition, ample sanitation, clean environment, clean water availability, as well as education on parenting, being able to buy food, and food management.
This year, the issue of stunting was handled by the Population Control, Family Planning, Women's Empowerment, and Child Protection Office through coordination with the local Regional Development Planning Agency.
"We praise that this year's stunting had decreased as compared to last year's 9,583 children under five, or 9.26 percent," she said.
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Translator: Mansyur Suryana, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
