Promoting child health and nutrition in India

This article discusses the reasons for poor child nutrition in India. Inadequate advice to mothers in poor rural communities about breast milk supplements could allow progressive erosion of breast feeding practices in the face of aggressive promotion from baby food manufacturers. Health workers need better information about possible supplements produced from locally available foods if nutrition education programs are to succeed. The author warns of the detrimental effect on nutritonal status of the deemphasis of school health nutrition programs in India, and points to the need for a nutrition component as an integral part of rural employment/development programs.