Of the total 8.5 million deaths in our country in a year, 4.7 million are children. Malnutrition is directly or indirectly the real cause of death in nearly 4.2 million children. 

Several investigations have shown that malnutrition adversely affects the growth rate of children. The Oxford Child Health Survey of 650 children observed from birth to 5 years of age showed that children not suffering from malnutrition were one inch taller that those who had experienced illness & malnutrition. A large number of studies carried out by many workers in various developing countries have shown that supplementary feeding programmes help to improve the growth & nutritional status of pre-school children.

At least in 2 to 3 states in India, the physical norms of recruitment to police and para-military forces have been reduce. This means that there has been a decline in the average height and weight of our young generation and malnutrition must be responsible for it.

In our country, it is the custom to breast-feed infants for prolonged periods ranging from 6 months up to even 3 years. A mother who would be secreting 800 ml. Of breast milk a day would secrete 640 mg. Of lysine a day. This represents doubling of her lysine requirements over non-pregnant, non-lactating situation. But cereals are too low in lysine to provide for the growth of foetus & for meeting the requirements of lactating mothers. In India, almost one-third of the babies are born with low birth weights and about 65% of the pregnant women suffer from nutritional anaemia. 

Pregnancy and lactation are two stages of life, when an adult women’s protein needs are increased. She has the responsibility of supporting the growth of the foetus internally during the nine months of pregnancy and later externally by nursing the infant. Since the growth needs at the commencement of life are crucial, good nutrition is a must for the expectant as well as nursing mother. During pregnancy, a number of tissues are formed to protect and sustain the foetus and the mother has to meet her own needs and the needs of the growing foetus. There is an additional need for the growth of other related tissues and to build up fat stores to cushion the foetus, prior to birth and to supply a part of the energy needed for milk formation during lactation.