Generally, malnutrition is caused by lack of nutritional components it can be prevented by providing special diet such as fruit, vegetable, milk product, oils, meat and beans etc with sufficient amount in timely. There are primary prevention, secondary prevention and tertiary prevention for malnutrition.
Primary prevention
1. health promotion
Ø health education to mothers about good nutrition and food hygiene health workers
Ø Distribution of supplements (distribution of iron , folic acid and vitamin a).
Ø Promotion of breastfeeding
Ø Development of low cost weaning foods
Ø Measures to improve family diet
Ø Nutritional education
Ø `Home economics
Ø Family planning and birth spacing
Ø Family environment
2. specific protection
Ø specific protein diet, eggs, milk, fresh fruit
Ø immunization
Ø fortification of food
Secondary prevention; early diagnosis and adequate treatment
o Periodic nutrition surveillance .
o Early diagnosis of any lag of growth .
o Early diagnosis and treatment of infection including diarrhea.
o Developing the program for early dehydration of children with diarrhea.
o Developing supplementary feeding program during epidemics.
o Regular deworming of school and preschool children.
Tertiary prevention; nutritional rehabilitation
o o Nutritional rehabilitation services.
o o Hospital treatment .
o o Follow up of cases.