The United Nations Children's Fund last month that warned the majority of children under the age of 2-years old in are .

According to , the report specifically gave information on 91 developing countries. It found that only two-thirds of toddlers and babies in developing countries receive enough food on a daily basis to support healthy development and growth.

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Even more, half of kids between the ages of 6 to 23 months didn’t have access to the minimum daily number of meals required for babies and . Similarly, an even higher percentage of kids between those ages failed to have a diverse diet abiding by nutritional guidelines.

The report noted that the COVID-19 crisis in combination with climate change has dramatically contributed to these numbers. It also found that nutrition rates in children were poorer if they came from a rural or low-income family. But these rates also varied by region.

For example, while 62% of children between 6 to 23 months in Latin American and the met daily nutritional guidelines, this was in stat contrast to the 25% in Africa and 19% in South Asia.

Developing countries is a broad term to refer to nations that are less developed and have a lower Human Development Index compared to other states. In general, the quality of life in developing nations (such as in terms of access to food, medical care, and education) is lower than in developed nations that are more socially and economically advanced.

Underfeeding young children can have serious consequences on their long-term health. explains that when children received little to no calories and nutrition, the body begins using glucose to support the rest of its organs. But when glucose levels start running low, the body can go into hypoglycemia, which refers to low blood sugar.

The signs of hypoglycemia can include:

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  Seizures
  


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  Irritability
  


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  Exhaustion
  


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  Poor feeding
  


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  Low heart rate
  


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  Poor breathing
  


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  Prolonged crying
  

Stanford Children’s Health specifically warns that hypoglycemia can cause brain damage if the brain doesn’t have enough blood glucose to function. This can lead to seizures and long-term brain injuries.

UNICEF notes that in addition to the risk of malnutrition and its consequences, children that are underfed tend to fall behind academically and are more vulnerable to disease.

The United Nations agency emphasized that international cooperation is needed to address the underfeeding of babies and toddlers in developing nations. They called on more developed states to pledge resources and funding to help support programs that aim to improve the nutrition and development of children worldwide.

Sources: , , ,