Child Nutrition Shows Promise in India, But Breastfeeding Rates Decline: Health Survey

India has made notable progress in improving child nutrition over the past few years, according to the latest findings of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) 2023-24. The survey reveals a substantial decline in child stunting and severe wasting, indicating that efforts to combat malnutrition are beginning to yield positive results across the country.

The latest data show that the proportion of children under the age of five who are stunted-a condition that reflects chronic undernutrition and impaired growth-has fallen to 29.3 per cent from 35.5 per cent recorded in NFHS-5 (2019-21). This marks one of the most significant improvements in child nutrition indicators in recent years.

Similarly, the prevalence of severe wasting among children under five has declined sharply from 7.7 per cent to 5.2 per cent. Wasting, which refers to low weight for height, is often associated with acute malnutrition and can increase the risk of illness and mortality among young children.

The percentage of underweight children also registered a marginal improvement, decreasing from 32.1 per cent to 31.8 per cent. While the decline is relatively modest, health experts note that any reduction in underweight prevalence among a population as large as India's represents progress.

The survey findings suggest that several government initiatives aimed at improving maternal and child health may be contributing to better nutritional outcomes. Increased antenatal care coverage, higher institutional delivery rates, expanded immunisation programmes and improved access to nutritional supplements have all shown positive trends.

Maternal healthcare indicators recorded notable gains. The proportion of mothers receiving at least four antenatal care visits increased from 58.5 per cent to 65.2 per cent, while the percentage of pregnant women consuming iron and folic acid supplements for at least 100 days rose from 44.1 per cent to 54.9 per cent. Institutional births also increased to 90.6 per cent from 88.6 per cent.

Vaccination coverage among children improved significantly as well. The percentage of children aged 12-23 months who were fully vaccinated rose from 76.6 per cent in NFHS-5 to 82.6 per cent in NFHS-6. Coverage for several key vaccines, including measles, hepatitis B and rotavirus, also increased substantially.

Experts believe these improvements in maternal and child healthcare services are closely linked to the decline in malnutrition indicators.

However, the report also highlights areas of concern. Exclusive breastfeeding among infants below six months declined from 63.7 per cent to 55.8 per cent. Public health specialists have long regarded exclusive breastfeeding as one of the most effective interventions for improving child nutrition and immunity during the first six months of life.

Another challenge is the low proportion of children receiving an adequate diet. Only 15.3 per cent of children aged 6-23 months were found to be receiving a nutritionally adequate diet, although this figure represents an improvement from 11 per cent in the previous survey.

The findings come at a time when India continues to implement large-scale nutrition programmes such as Poshan Abhiyaan, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and various maternal health initiatives aimed at reducing malnutrition and improving child development outcomes.

While the latest NFHS data indicate that India is moving in the right direction, experts caution that nearly three out of every ten children remain stunted and almost one in five continue to suffer from wasting. They argue that sustained investments in maternal health, child feeding practices, sanitation, food security and healthcare access will be critical to maintaining momentum and achieving national nutrition goals.

The NFHS-6 findings provide encouraging evidence that child nutrition is improving across India, but they also underscore the need for continued efforts to ensure that every child receives adequate nutrition during the crucial early years of life.