Malnutrition in Children

"One in every four children in the world is suffering from chronic malnutrition that is affecting their ability to learn, according to a report by a charity."

This is a hard quote for me because it is not something that I was aware of before. Obviously, I am aware that other parts of the world are not as developed as the United States, where I live, I just was not familiar with the alarming statistics and the extent of this problem. 

Chronic malnutrition delays a child's growth developmentally, physically, and cognitively. Obviously we are aware of the physical effects of malnutrition on children which then relates to developmental delays. But the effects of malnutrition also relate directly with a child's ability to learn. Malnourished children are 19% less likely to be able to read at the age of 8 (based on a study of children in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam). This disadvantage in early childhood can be seen as an indicator of how well these children will succeed later in life.

While the number of children who die from malnutrition is on the decline, from 12 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011, the problem is still very much evident. Becoming aware of these statistics makes me realize that I need to become more involved to help children around the world. I am an early childhood professional because I have a passion for young children. A passion to help them grow, learn, and succeed. This passion has led me to join advocacy groups in my area and will now lead me to become involved in organizations that will make people aware of this problem, and ultimately benefit children across the world.



Resource for statistics: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/28/18550564-one-quarter-of-worlds-children-struggling-to-learn-because-of-malnutrition-study?lite