New Delhi, Nov 12: A survey has revealed that the high rates of child marriage and teenage pregnancy in Meghalaya and the Northeast have been a major cause of child malnutrition.
The incidence of child marriage and teenage pregnancy in the Northeast is higher than the national average, a study by the Observer Research Foundation said. It had analysed the data of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS).
The data on child marriage and teenage pregnancy in Meghalaya are alarming. The state’s teenage pregnancy rate of 7.9% is higher than the national average of 6.8%.
The matrilineal state also has a higher rate of child marriage at 16.3%. It is much higher than that of Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram.
Tripura showed a steep incline in both child marriage (33.1% in 2015-16 to 40.1% in 2019-21) and teenage pregnancies (18.8% in 2015-16 to 21.9% in 2019-21).
Malnutrition and child marriage, which are interlinked, have a long-term impact on health, education and employment, the study said.
It also said that investment in maternal and child health and adolescent well-being yields a high cost to benefit ratio, with a triple dividend in both low and upper-middle income countries.
Teenage pregnancies lead to complications at birth, including low birth weight and higher mortality rates.
Evidence indicates children born to adolescent mothers have a 10% higher prevalence for stunting.
Meghalaya recorded the highest increase in the percentage of stunted children (under-five) among the Northeastern states with one in every two children suffering from anaemia in all 12 districts.
Poverty and gender discrimination further heighten the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition, impacting cognitive and physical development, the study said.
Factors including mother’s education and order of birth have shown to influence the consumption of iron and folic acid (IFA) among pregnant women.
The NFHS-5 data indicated a wide variation on consumption of IFA supplementation for 180 days by pregnant women in the states of the Northeast. It is 31.5% in Sikkim and 4.1% in Nagaland.
Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland are the four states in the Northeast, which showed an increase in ANC (attending ante-natal care) services availed by pregnant women. Manipur topped the chart at 79.4%
Exclusive breastfeeding rates witnessed a decline in six of the eight northeastern states with Sikkim being the lowest at 28.3%. Early initiation of breastfeeding has improved across the states. Meghalaya has the highest prevalence at 78.8%.
The practice of timely introduction of semi-solid food to a child is the highest in Manipur at 78.9%. Tripura showed an increase of 39.5 percentage points. It increased from 13.6% in 2015-16 to 53.1% in 2019-21.
“Minimum acceptable diet (or diet adequacy) shows a wide range of percentage coverage noted at a range of 8% to 29.8% in Assam and Meghalaya respectively,” the study said.
There is a marked improvement across Manipur, Mizoram, and Sikkim in the nutrition sensitive indicators on water and sanitation.
Mizoram equals the national average of 95.9% on the provision of clean drinking water. The state has high percentages on improved sanitation and households using clean fuel for cooking.
