Prevention of malnutrition: growth monitoring and promotion

Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) This handmade poster from Bhutan compares the growth of a healthy well fed child with a sick, poorly fed child. Growth monitoring can identify children who do not have adequate growth and who are at increased risk of severe malnutrition and infection. Growth monitoring must be combined with relevant action(s) to prevent malnutriton. GMP involves: 1. An initial assessment of the child's growth for signs of growth faltering. 2. An analysis of the causes of the growth faltering. 3. Actions to promote better growth. Often, the mother can make a significant difference to the health of her child by making a simple change to her feeding routine. In other cases the family may need additional help from community-based services eg. training in food preparation or food production, or in child care.