Mysuru: Cheluvamba Hospital’s Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) ward has come to the rescue of malnourished children in the region. It has helped nearly 200 malnourished children reach a nourished state through proper nutrition interventions.The 15-bed SAM Ward, also known as the Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre, provides free treatment to children aged six months to five years, offering both medical care and nutritional support to help them recover and regain strength.Dr Pradeep N, head of the paediatric department at Cheluvamba Hospital’s SAM Ward, says it stands as a model intervention, not only saving lives but also raising awareness about the importance of maternal and child nutrition. “We treated over 180 children, and most recovered well,” he stated.“The primary cause of malnutrition is poor maternal nutrition. From the time a woman conceives, she must adopt a balanced diet and increase her meals to five times a day instead of three. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is vital.“Secondary causes of child malnutrition include underlying health issues such as heart disease or kidney disease. When children are admitted here, we treat any acute issues first over two days. Nutritional feeding follows for about 14 days, during which children typically gain around 10 gms of weight per kilogram of body weight daily,” he said.S Divyashree, a dietician at the SAM ward, takes care of the diet of these children. She also said that children not only from across the district, but also from other districts like Chamarajanagar, Mandya, Madikeri, and Hassan are being referred to the SAM ward, which has been set up at Cheluvamba Hospital. She said babies born weighing less than 2.5 kg come under the underweight category.
