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‘Right diet key to battling anaemia in children’
Mumbai: If findings in a south Mumbai school are any indication, then parents in the city need to worry about anaemia among their children. A nutritionist who has been conducting research on anaemia and school health programmes tracked 497 students in a school in Pydhonie and found that nearly 70% of them suffered from anaemia.
It took simple modifications—adding a dash of spinach in the green chutney or introducing idlis in the school canteen—to correct the condition.
"Our preliminary study on 234 boys in the school showed that 96 of them had haemoglobin levels of less than 12 gm per decilitre,'' said nutritionist Ratnaraje Thar, who conducted the study as part of her doctoral thesis from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS).
Guided by Ashok Bhagwat of NMIMS, she and her team then took blood samples of students from nursery to Std X, concluding their study in March.
Calling anaemia a silent disorder, Thar blamed children's fondness for junk food, irregular snacking habits and the tendency to skip breakfast for the problem. Anaemia may skip parents' radar as it isn't visible, but doctors say they should watch out for signs of fatigue, weakness, paleness of eyes, weight loss, deformity in nails, irritability and poor academic performance as indicators of the condition.
The study should serve as a wakeup call to parents. Paediatrician Indu Khosla said anaemia was extremely common among children. "Of the cases I get, 50%-60% are of varying degrees of anaemia, the most common being iron deficiency,'' she said.
Nutritionist Vibha Kapadia said the problem stems from the fact that children don't like eating green vegetables, certain fruits and other wholesome food items that give them nutrition.
"The canteen served vada-pav and samosas, which weren't nutritious. It took months of convincing before the authorities introduced healthier options such as idlis and sprout-bhel,'' said Thar. She and her team counselled parents and conducted fun activities with students to change their eating habits. Kapadia said, "Good eating habits should be cultivated from an early stage."
A NATIONAL PROBLEM
WHO estimates that over one-third of the world's population suffers from anaemia. India continues to be one of the countries with the highest prevalence of the disease. National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-3 estimates reveal the prevalence of anaemia to be 70%-80% among children, 70% among pregnant women and 24% among adult males.
SIMPLE TIPS FOR YOUR CHILD
Eat dates with breakfast Alter your menus to include nutritious foods. For instance, add pumpkin in tomato sauce or spinach in your chutney Get traditional food items back into your kitchen
It took simple modifications—adding a dash of spinach in the green chutney or introducing idlis in the school canteen—to correct the condition.
"Our preliminary study on 234 boys in the school showed that 96 of them had haemoglobin levels of less than 12 gm per decilitre,'' said nutritionist Ratnaraje Thar, who conducted the study as part of her doctoral thesis from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS).
Guided by Ashok Bhagwat of NMIMS, she and her team then took blood samples of students from nursery to Std X, concluding their study in March.
Calling anaemia a silent disorder, Thar blamed children's fondness for junk food, irregular snacking habits and the tendency to skip breakfast for the problem. Anaemia may skip parents' radar as it isn't visible, but doctors say they should watch out for signs of fatigue, weakness, paleness of eyes, weight loss, deformity in nails, irritability and poor academic performance as indicators of the condition.
The study should serve as a wakeup call to parents. Paediatrician Indu Khosla said anaemia was extremely common among children. "Of the cases I get, 50%-60% are of varying degrees of anaemia, the most common being iron deficiency,'' she said.
Nutritionist Vibha Kapadia said the problem stems from the fact that children don't like eating green vegetables, certain fruits and other wholesome food items that give them nutrition.
"The canteen served vada-pav and samosas, which weren't nutritious. It took months of convincing before the authorities introduced healthier options such as idlis and sprout-bhel,'' said Thar. She and her team counselled parents and conducted fun activities with students to change their eating habits. Kapadia said, "Good eating habits should be cultivated from an early stage."
A NATIONAL PROBLEM
WHO estimates that over one-third of the world's population suffers from anaemia. India continues to be one of the countries with the highest prevalence of the disease. National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-3 estimates reveal the prevalence of anaemia to be 70%-80% among children, 70% among pregnant women and 24% among adult males.
SIMPLE TIPS FOR YOUR CHILD
Eat dates with breakfast Alter your menus to include nutritious foods. For instance, add pumpkin in tomato sauce or spinach in your chutney Get traditional food items back into your kitchen
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