The health and nutrition of preschoolers has changed for the better as well, although progress has been uneven across the region. For example, in Bangladesh and Central Asia, average child size actually fell in the 1990s. Also, while life expectancy for today's newborn in South Asia is more than 10 years longer than a child born in the 1960s, it is seven years less than for new-borns in East Asia and the Pacific. Infant and under-five mortality rates in South Asia, except for Sri Lanka, are among the highest in the world. Sanitation is also a problem in South Asia, with only one third of the total population one fifth of the rural population having access to adequate sanitation facilities.
Micronutrient deficiencies cause death and disability among the region s children.
Vitamin A deficiency is implicated in a substantial proportion of maternal and under-five deaths. Iodine deficiency disorders are the leading cause of mental disability in the world. Iodized salt is the cost-effective solution. In Bangladesh and Central Asia, palpable goiter is endemic. The solutions are to improve iodine nutrition for pregnant women so that the embryo s brain development does not suffer, and ensure adequate iodine in early infant feeding that complements breastfeeding.