Ahmedabad: The share of Gujarat's children who are stunted — too short for their age, a marker of long-term nutritional deprivation — has fallen from 39.0% to 35.3% between the last two national health surveys. The share of wasted children or those dangerously thin for their height dropped more sharply, from 25.1% to 20.2%. Even the rate of severe wasting was nearly halved, sliding from 10.6% to 5.4%.
These are real improvements. Kerala, India's benchmark state for child health, records stunting at just 20.1%. While the proportion of underweight children also dipped from 39.7% to 35.5%, more than a third of the state's toddlers still lack the physical bulk they need to thrive.
Alarming Dietary Gaps
The hardest truth lies in the nursery bowl. Only 7.8% of children aged 6 to 23 months receive an adequate diet. Though an improvement over the 5.9% seen four years ago, it still leaves a massive 92.2% gap in basic nutrition during the most vital months of human growth. Even the share of infants starting on solid or semi-solid foods between six and eight months rose to 53.2% from 42.0%. However, the nutritional quality of that food remains unclear.
Positive Breastfeeding Trends
Mothers are winning the first hour. Breastfeeding within 60 minutes of birth jumped from 37.8% to 46.9%. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months also rose from 65.0% to 71.4%.
You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Ahmedabad | Silver Rate in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Petrol Price in Ahmedabad | Diesel Price in Ahmedabad | CNG Price in Ahmedabad | LPG Price in Ahmedabad
