The role of complementary feeding in India’s enigma of high child malnutrition rates: Findings from a comprehensive national study

Relative to its economic growth and poverty levels, Indian children suffer from higher levels of malnutrition than children in most other lowor lower-middle-income countries. The current Covid19 pandemic is likely to further exacerbate the situation. Research presented in this article has examined the effects of infant and young child feeding practices on the rates of stunting, underweight, wasting, and anaemia amongst Indian children and concluded that feeding children between 6 and 23 months old (semi)solid food of sufficient variety, and particularly animal-source foods, has a significant positive effect on their nutritional outcomes. The study further assessed the effects of the Integrated Child Development Services and district-level livestock ownership on the helpful feeding practices and found that the Integrated Child Development Services encouraged beneficial dietary behaviour amongst children but did not improve their nutritional outcomes. In contract, district-level poultry ownership appeared to have both augmented the beneficial feeding practices and improved children’s nutritional outcomes.