Anemia in mothers causes stunted growth in children, says National Institute of Nutrition study

The National Institute of Nutrition reveals that 33 percent of the girls did not grow in height out of 10,350 children aged 0–5 years in the Telugu state.

Hyderabad: Anemia is a major health hazard for marriageable-age girls, according to a study from the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

The NIN has also found that 33 percent of the girls did not grow in height out of 10,350 children aged 0–5 years in Telugu states.

Irrespective of the place, 33.8 percent of urban and 33 percent of rural people have such problems, but 0.8 percent higher in urban areas than in rural areas, the study said.

Due to malnutrition, children do not gain weight appropriate for their age. It was found that 31.7 percent of urban people and 15.9 percent of rural people are suffering from obesity in people aged 5 to 19 years. In a survey conducted on people over the age of 19, 47.7 percent of urban areas and 46.7 percent of rural areas have obesity problems.

If the amount of iron in the blood is too low, the problem of anemia arises. By considering the percentage of hemoglobin in the blood, doctors can detect iron deficiency and estimate anemia. If increased testing confirms that anemia is prevalent in the population, iron-rich foods can overcome the problem. To this end, Dr. Bharati Kulkarni, the scientist at NIN, said, ''Due to the low consumption of animal food along with fruits, hemoglobin production is not done properly in the blood of the rural people, especially the poor''.

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