Unbalanced diets have negative effects on many children

Feeding children a balanced diet is essential to their development but few women follow medical workers' recommendations, especially when feeding their children solid food.

According to a survey by TNS Market Research company, out of 1,200 respondents in six provinces and cities, o­nly 4 percent said they followed official recommendations. The others followed advice from elder women in their family, especially in rural areas.

The survey also showed that 61 percent of women gave solid food to children too early, when they were o­nly five months old. A smaller number (4 percent) gave solid food too late, when the children were ten months old.

"Giving children rice flour soup too early means that they do not receive enough breast milk, which is necessary for their immune system, whereas giving the food too late leads to undernutrition," said Ha Thi Minh Khuong, an expert from the institute.

A a result, many of these children were not given a balanced diet. As many as 35 percent of women did not add cooking oil to their children's food, causing fat deficiencies in their diets, and nearly 5 percent gave their children bottled soft drinks, which are considered bad for children.

Fewer rural children received formula than urban children.

"We should have more financial policies for women with children under three, as many of them said that they do not have enough money to buy cooking oil, so they used animal fat instead," she said.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Vietnam Women's Union's Family and Society Division, suggested the National Assembly raise the o­ne-time allowance for women after giving birth from VND2.1 million (USD100) to VND3.1 million (USD150). She also said nutrition should be taught in school and physical exercise programmes should be expanded.

Additionally, she said, a network of people should be trained to provide families in rural areas with essential knowledge about nutrition.

Last year, more than 16 percent of children across the country suffered from malnutrition. The figure shows a decrease by 0.6 percent compared with 2011.