By Anna Valmero
TIBIAO, ANTIQUE--To curb malnutrition among infants aged two years and below, the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) has implemented its feeding program and nutrition education for mothers.
The feeding program, which started last April 7, was first implemented in the towns of Barbaza and Tibiao, ranked first and third, respectively, in the list of areas with the most number of malnourished children, according to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI)'s National Nutrition Survey.
"DoST developed this nutrition improvement program as a package of nutrition intervention to free Filipino children from malnutrition," said DoST Chief Mario Montejo.
In Antique province, some 40 percent of children under five were underweight and under height, while 14.3 percent were classified as "thin".
When a child grows malnourished, productivity is impaired, which affects economic growth and quality of life, Montejo said.
The program targets children under two years old because it is during this time when children undergo rapid growth and development and are highly vulnerable to malnutrition, said FNRI Director Mario Capanzana.
"This is the age when the child may have irreversible long-term physical and mental damage if no intervention is done," said Capanzana.
Under the feeding program, FNRI will give 20-gram packs of complementary nutri-food to underweight children for three months.
Six- to eleven-month-old infants will be given rice-mongo instant baby food with 96 kilocalories and 3 grams of protein and rice-mongo-sesame quick-cook porridge with 89 kilocalories and 3g protein.
Rice-mongo curls are made for one-year-old children and pack 94 kilocalories and 2.4g protein. The curls can be coated with cheese or chocolate for flavor.
Mothers of underweight children will be required to attend nutrition classes on the importance of breastfeeding for newborn infants, meal plan preparation, and vegetable gardening to have continuous supply of healthy food.
After three months, Antique project leader Julieta Dorado and her team will study the effects of the intervention program by monitoring children's weight, consumption of nutripacks and attendance of mothers in nutrition classes.
Study results will be used for designing a community-based nutrition program for Filipino children.
DoST will also launch the program next month in Occidental Mindoro, Leyte and Iloilo. These provinces also have high cases of malnutrition.
The activity is part of the "Sulong Pinoy" program that aims to address malnutrition in the country through science and technology-based interventions.
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