The seven prime health messages in this chapter could help parents to prevent most child malnutrition, even in low-income communities.
Some parents are unable to feed their children properly because of drought, famine, war, or poverty.
Only political and economic action, often involving land reform and investment in food production by and for the poor, can solve this problem. But the great majority of parents in developing countries either grow enough or earn enough to provide an adequate diet for their young children - if they know about the special needs of the young child and if they are supported by their communities and governments in putting that knowledge into practice. Children from birth to the age of three years should be weighed every month. If there is no weight gain for two months, something is wrong. Breastmilk alone is the best possible food for about the first six months of a child's life.