Blog 4 Severe Stunting: Twelve Years Old Going On Five

Taking place right now in Guatemala is a stunt in growth for children.  Half of this area is under the poverty line and suffers from malnutrition.  At least half of the population in Guatemala growth is stunted.  The children’s growth is effected because once they are born till age two it is vital that they get the right portion of nutrients and that’s something that they are lacking bad of.  Rohloff a doctor stated, that these kids are six or eight inches shorter than they should be.  In other words when these kids hit their preteen years it seems they are still looking like their five years old.  These kids who experience stunted growth are affected extremely bad it affects not only their physical capabilities but also mentally and they are more likely to drop out of school.  The doctor made sure to teach mothers the importance of breast feeding and nutrition for the kids.  The poor areas aren’t funded or really helped out by the government in order to receive more assistance.  Located in Cajagualten a village there are clinics that lure people in and provide an intervention on the importance of avoiding the stunt of children’s growth.  The American government has intervened and helped out groups like “Save the Children” by providing healthier foods like beans and rice and educated families to grow their own gardens of healthy foods.  Doctor Rohloff intervention has been able to cut down half of the communities’ malnutrition rate.  Hopefully this will continue to be a success and fewer children each day will grow healthier.  

 http://abcnews.go.com/Health/malnutrition-severe-stunting-guatemalan-children/story?id=12381731#.UFyw1PWcHvE