Food Scarcity Threatens To Stunt Children’s Growth And Development

A current report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has sounded the alarm on the dire state of child food poverty in Nigeria, with a staggering 32% of children affected.

This has prompted paediatricians and nutritionists to warn of the devastating consequences that lie ahead, including increased risk of chronic diseases, stunted growth, and low intelligence quotients.

The report reveals that a staggering 65% of the 181 million children worldwide facing food poverty are from Nigeria, with an additional 19 million from other countries, painting a bleak picture of the potential surge in childhood malnutrition and its far-reaching effects.

According to a recent report, Nigeria has made progress in reducing child food poverty, with a decline from 45% in 2012 to 32% currently.

However, the country still bears the second highest burden of stunted children globally, with 12 million out of 35 million children under five experiencing stunting due to malnutrition.

UNICEF defines child food poverty as the inability of children to access nutritious and diverse diets, which is particularly damaging in early childhood as it impacts child survival, physical growth, and cognitive development.

The report warns that child food poverty leads to child undernutrition and increases the prevalence of child stunting, which contributes to child mortality and reduced physical and cognitive growth and development.

The National Bureau of Statistics reports that the cost of a healthy diet has risen by 32% per adult due to rising inflation, making it increasingly difficult for families to access nutritious food.

Nutritionists have expressed concerns over the alarming rate of hunger in the country, warning that children who go to school on empty stomachs are at risk of impaired cognitive development and poor academic performance.

According to Paediatrician Professor Omotayo Adesiyun, children experiencing hunger and food poverty will not grow and develop properly.

She stressed that females may experience issues with their pelvic bones, leading to complications during childbirth later in life.

“Stunted people are shorter than expected, if they are female, their pelvic bones can be affected leading to complications during childbirth in the future.

“Malnourished children are at risk of other childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and infections and are more likely to die from these illnesses. What I mean is if two children have measles, one is well nourished and the other malnourished, the malnourished one is more likely to die,” the don mentioned.

The paediatrician noted that proper nutrition is important for brain growth and sight and that malnourished children suffer from learning disabilities.

Adesiyun mentioned  “When we talk about food poverty, it’s important to remember that it is not just the macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates and fats that are important but also the micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals that are very important to growth. So it’s important to always remember that it’s not just quantity of food that is important but also quality.”

She added that malnourished and stunted children stand the risk of not reaching their full potential in adulthood and experiencing chronic health challenges.

“Clinically, we are seeing many children being sick as a result of food poverty. The cases are much more in certain geopolitical areas of Nigeria, especially in areas where there are still very large family sizes,” Adesiyun highlighted.

A Chief Dietitian Nutritionist, Olufunmilola Ogunmiluyi, stated that malnutrition is an underlying cause of 45 per cent of all deaths of under-five children.

According to the health organization’s data, approximately 4.4 million children under the age of five in the Northwest and Northeast regions are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition between May 2023 and April 2024.

The nutritionist emphasized that these children, lacking access to nutritious food, face a heightened risk of hunger, undernutrition, poor health, and a increased susceptibility to diseases and other health issues related to malnutrition.

“Stunting, in addition to an increased risk of death, is also linked to poor cognitive development, a lowered performance in education and low productivity in adulthood – all contributing to economic losses estimated to account for as much as 11 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.

“Hunger has many impacts and reflects in high rates of diseases and mortality, limited neurological development and low productivity among current and future generations. It is also a major constraint to a country’s ability to develop economically, socially, and politically,” she said.

The dietitian-nutritionist explained that food poverty and hunger lead to various forms of malnutrition, including undernutrition, wasting, stunting, and micronutrient deficiencies, which can further result in diet-related non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

While there has been a significant reduction in clinically recorded malnutrition cases in children, the current economic situation and rising food prices may reverse this progress, leading to increased malnutrition.

A registered nutritionist dietitian, Charles Oguikpe, expressed concern about the long-term health implications of food poverty on children, who are likely to experience micronutrient deficiencies, wasting, and increased risk of chronic diseases due to poor diet and nutrient intake.

“The statistics provided have clearly stated that Nigerian children are at higher risk of micronutrient deficiencies and protein energy malnutrition. The health implication of this food poverty is that it predisposes these children to waste, which hinders them from attaining optimal development in early childhood and beyond. This involves their cognitive and physical development, and this impacts their functionality as a child.

“Another health implication is the onset of early obesity, diabetes and hypertension as seen in the clinics and it is as a result of the cheap poor nutrient and unhealthy ultra-processed foods, sugars and sweetened beverages which are aggressively being marketed to parents in the Nigerian markets,” Oguikpe lamented.

He cited recent research indicating that a staggering 11 million children in Nigeria, equivalent to one-third of children under five, suffer from severe food poverty.

This puts them at a alarming 50% risk of developing wasting, a dangerous and potentially fatal form of malnutrition. The expert in Clinical and Community Nutrition emphasized that this crisis not only threatens the health and well-being of these children but also has far-reaching implications for the country’s future economic prosperity.

He noted , “The economic impact of food poverty in Nigeria affects not just the child alone, it affects the country in general. It decreases economic growth by bringing a lot of malnutrition issues, giving a lot of workload to the healthcare system to ensure that the children are managed and that the malnutrition rate is being eradicated or alleviated in the country.

“There will be a limitation of human capital development, reduced labour productivity and reduced life expectancy. It is a global issue but in a country like Nigeria, it is an emergency.”

Oguikpe, the Public Relations Officer of the Association of Nigerian Dietitians, Lagos State Chapter, urged the Federal Government to work closely with healthcare professionals to ensure the safety and quality of food sold in markets for children.

He also advocated for policies that promote food security and empower healthcare professionals to perform their jobs more effectively, ultimately prioritizing the health and well-being of children.