Promoting child health and nutrition in India

Abstract

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 programmes are to succeed. The author warns of the detrimental effect on nutritional status of the deemphasis of school/health nutrition programmes in India, and points to the need for a nutrition component as an integral part of rural employment/development programmes.