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Malnutrition
In Yucatan 9 out of every 10 people suffer from some level of malnutrition. For many years, Yucatan, Mexico has been in first place for infant mortality due to malnutrition with the average of 40 deaths of children under 5 years of age for every 1000 births. The national average is 27 deaths for every 1000 births.
Malnutrition weakens the body’s resistance to illness.
Children have a right to a caring, protective environment and to nutritious food and basic health care to protect them from illness and promote growth and development. 1
Children need Vitamin A to resist illness and prevent visual impairment.
Children need iron-rich foods to protect their physical and mental abilities. 2
Poor nutrition in the first two years of life can slow a child’s physical and mental development for the rest of his or her life. 3
Anemia – lack of iron – can impair physical and mental development. Mild anemia in infants and young children can impair intellectual development. Anemia in children under two years of age may cause problems with coordination and balance and the child may appear withdrawn and hesitant. This can limit the child’s ability to interact and may hinder intellectual development. 4
1, 2, 3, 4, Facts for Life, UNICEF, WHO AND UNESCO 2002
These are serious issues. We all know how precious the life of a child is.
In response to these issues, as an off-shoot of the Food Bank, a pre-school breakfast program once a week feeding 20 children between the ages of 1 and 4 ½ years of age began Dec.18th, 2006. |
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