Child Stunting

Second-hand smoke and maternal tobacco use put millions of children at risk of stunted growth, WHO report highlights

As many as 63 districts across 13 states and Union Territory, including 34 in Uttar Pradesh, have reported that more than 50 per cent of children enrolled in anganwadis are stunted, according to an analysis of multiple documents submitted in Parliament. The analysis also showed that 199 districts reported stunting levels between 30 per cent and 40 per cent. Stunting is a form of chronic undernutrition that occurs when children do not receive adequate nutrition over a long period of time. According to the data based on the Ministry of Women and Child Development's Poshan Tracker for June 2025, some of the worst-affected districts with highest level of stunting include Nandurbar in Maharashtra (68.12 per cent), West Singhbhum in Jharkhand (66.27 per cent), Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh (59.48 per cent), Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh (58.20 per cent), and Bongaigaon in Assam (54.76 per cent). Uttar Pradesh leads the list with 34 districts showing stunting levels above 50 per cent, followed

The Indian government has maintained the stance that the Global Hunger Index is an "erroneous measurement of hunger" and part of a "consistent effort" to "taint India's image"

Caste practices and other kinds of social exclusion reduce communities' access to maternal and child health, leading to more cases of stunting, says a new study

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Low body mass index in women was identified as the biggest cause of stunting among children