Not only Stunting, Caregivers Also Need to be Aware of Wasting
Learn more about wasting and stunting, two forms of child malnutrition that caregivers must know about.
- English
- Bahasa Indonesia
Nutrition adequacy in children under five are critical for their growth and development. There are three nutritional problems that caregivers need to be aware of, namely undernutrition (wasting and stunting), micronutrient deficiency (e.g. anemia), and overnutrition (overweight and obesity). A 2022 survey conducted by the Ministry of Health (SSGI 2022) reveals that, in Indonesia, 1 of 12 children under five are wasted and 1 of 5 are stunted. This shows that stunting is not the only nutritional problem faced by Indonesian children – wasting also needs to be detected and treated. Read more to learn about wasting and stunting, the differences, and how to tackle them.
Wasting (Undernutrition and Malnutrition)
Wasted children physically appear very thin. They have low weight for their height and small upper arm circumference. Wasting is typically the result of inadequate nutritional intake, both in terms of food quantity and quality, and/or children who are frequently sick with infections. Of all childhood nutritional problems, wasting has the highest risk of death. The mortality risk of wasted children is 12 times higher than children with adequate nutrition.
Stunting
Stunted children appear shorter relative to their peers. Unlike wasting that can develop acutely in a short period of time, stunting shows chronic (long-term) malnutrition. A child is at risk of stunting when undernutrition begins from pregnancy until the child is two years old, or during the first 1000 days of life.
How Do Wasting and Stunting Correlate?
As two forms of malnutrition, wasting and stunting correlate. These nutritional problems have the same risk factors, and one condition can make the other worse. Other than the high risk of mortality, when untreated, wasted children is 3 times more at risk of developing stunting, while stunting children are 1.5 more at risk to become wasted compared to children with adequate nutrition. The risk of mortality also increases when a child experience wasting and stunting at the same time.
Let’s prevent and treat wasting, and keep stunting away
The first two years of a child’s life is the golden period to prevent both wasting and stunting. However, if preventive measures fail, and a child is wasted, effective and immediate care and treatment are needed to ensure their survival and ability to catch up with their growth and development. Therefore, “Let’s prevent and treat wasting, and keep stunting away.”
