ABSTRACT
Maternal-Child Malnutrition is the leading risk factor for disease burden. Undernutrition in early childhood also increases the chances of adult-onset chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc., with a substantial decrease in work capacity, health expenditure and earnings. The nutritional status of young children is assessed using international measures and standards for the following anthropometric indicators—underweight, stunting, wasting, low mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). In conditions of long-term deprivation of nutrients, the body adapts to prioritizing the utilization of available nutrients for meeting the needs of vital organs and their functions and compromising on growth in height”. Malnutrition is a serious public health problem with grave implications on India’s economic and social development. It is evident from the various survey findings that the situation of malnutrition in India has improved to some extent in the last 15 years, but the problem continues to be grave across all age groups.
