Expect a change in the menu for malnourished children. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation-run Sion Hospital's paediatric department has asked the women and child welfare department to adopt the medical nutrition therapy (MNT) model to provide nutritious food especially to such children.
The MNT promises to target those parts of the state which have the worst record in child health, like Melghat, Jawhar, Mokhada and Dharavi.
The Sion Hospital had begun MNT six months ago, with the help of IIT-Bombay and Toddlers Food Partners — a US-based NGO, claiming it had more functional nutrients. The Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas at IIT-Bombay looks after the technical part of the MNT. It is produced in-house at the urban health centre (UHC) in Dharavi. These partners also provide the financial aid.
The hospital has set up a 10-bed nutrition rehabilitation and research centre at the UHC, where most cases of malnourished children are referred for treatment.
DNA had recently reported that malnourished children do not get enough nutrients from the supplementary food under the integrated child development services programme, which include khichdi, sheera and upma.
"A timely and aggressive management of these malnourished children will not only reduce the child morbidity and mortality rates, but will also promote their growth and development. So, properly planned prompt management of under-nourished children with periodic follow-up forms the backbone of their treatment. This is where MNT comes in," said Dr Mamta Manglani, head of paediatric department at Sion Hospital.
She pointed out that malnourished children have responded well to the therapy. "Besides weight gain, they received good nutrients, which helped them increase their immunity. Under this project, we are planning to treat malnourished children with a new diet formula — high protein and calories in small volumes as compared to the standard therapy. This is why we want the state to adopt this model."
Paediatrician Samir Dalwai, who is also part of the project, stressed on timely intervention to identify malnourished children.
"The treatment should be planned based on the need of an individual child. It is also important to provide them with optimal nutritional and health support. MNT will not cost more and is more effective than the currently provided khichdi and sheera."
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