Editing Slum (section)

===Child malnutrition===
Child [[malnutrition]] is more common in slums than in non-slum areas.<ref name="malnutritionchildren">{{cite journal |pmid=15297683 |url=http://www.indianpediatrics.net/july2004/july-682-696.htm |title=Indian Pediatrics - Editorial |journal=Indian Pediatrics |volume=41 |issue=7 |pages=682–96 |year=2004 |last1=Ghosh |first1=S. |last2=Shah |first2=D. |access-date=2018-10-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322001735/http://www.indianpediatrics.net/july2004/july-682-696.htm |archive-date=2018-03-22 |url-status=live}}</ref> In [[Mumbai]] and [[New Delhi]], 47% and 51% of slum children under the age of five are stunted and 35% and 36% of them are underweight. These children all suffer from third-degree malnutrition, the most severe level, according to [[WHO]] standards.<ref>{{cite report |publisher=Dasra and Piramal |title=Nourishing our Future: Tackling Child Malnutrition in Urban Slums |date=March 2011 |url=https://www.dasra.org/individual-resources/35 |page=8 |access-date=October 20, 2024}}</ref> A study conducted by Tada et al. in [[Bangkok]] slums illustrates that in terms of weight-forage, 25.4% of the children who participated in the survey suffered from malnutrition, compared to around 8% national malnutrition prevalence in [[Thailand]].<ref name="bangkok">{{cite journal |pmid=12693602 |year=2002 |last1=Tada |first1=Y. |title=Nutritional status of the preschool children of the Klong Toey slum, Bangkok |journal=The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health |volume=33 |issue=3 |pages=628–37 |last2=Keiwkarnka |first2=B. |last3=Pancharuniti |first3=N. |last4=Chamroonsawasdi |first4=K.}}</ref> In [[Ethiopia]] and the [[Niger]], rates of child malnutrition in urban slums are around 40%.<ref>{{cite book |last=United Nations Human Settlements Programme |title=State of the world's cities 2006/7 |year=2006 |publisher=Earthscan Publications |location=London}}</ref>{{page needed|date=October 2018}}

The major nutritional problems in slums are [[protein-energy malnutrition]] (PEM), [[vitamin A deficiency]] (VAD), [[iron deficiency anemia]] (IDA) and [[iodine deficiency disorders]] (IDD).<ref name="malnutritionchildren" /> Malnutrition can sometimes lead to [[death]] among children.<ref>{{cite news |last=Karim |first=Md Rezaul |title=Children suffering malnutrition in a slum |newspaper=Wikinut-guides-activism |date=January 11, 2012}}</ref> Dr. [[Abhay Bang]]'s report shows that malnutrition kills 56,000 children annually in urban slums in India.<ref>{{cite news|last=Punwani |first=Jyoti |title=Malnutrition kills 56,000 children annually in urban slums |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/interviews/Malnutrition-kills-56000-children-annually-in-urban-slums/articleshow/7248634.cms |date=January 10, 2011 |access-date=November 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105064845/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-01-10/interviews/28373285_1_malnutrition-integrated-child-development-scheme-healthcare-system |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |url-status=live}}</ref>

Widespread child malnutrition in slums is closely related to family [[income]], mothers' food practice, mothers' [[educational]] level, and maternal employment or housewifery.<ref name="bangkok" /> [[Poverty]] may result in inadequate [[food]] intake when people cannot afford to buy and store enough food, which leads to malnutrition.<ref name="nutrition">{{cite journal |last=Gomber |first=Sunil |title=Prevalence & etiology of nutritional anaemia among school children of urban slums |journal=Indian Journal of Medical Research |year=2003 |volume=118 |pages=167–171 |display-authors=etal |pmid=14700351}}</ref> Another common cause is mothers' faulty feeding practices, including inadequate [[breastfeeding]] and wrongly preparation of food for children.<ref name="malnutritionchildren" /> Tada et al.'s study in Bangkok slums shows that around 64% of the mothers sometimes fed their children [[instant food]] instead of a normal meal. And about 70% of the mothers did not provide their children three meals every day. Mothers' lack of education leads to their faulty feeding practices. Many mothers in slums don't have knowledge on food nutrition for children.<ref name="bangkok" /> Maternal employment also influences children's nutritional status. For the mothers who work outside, their children are prone to be malnourished. These children are likely to be neglected by their mothers or sometimes not carefully looked after by their female relatives.<ref name="malnutritionchildren" />