American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 20, 1260-1266, Copyright © 1967 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Health, Development, and Nutritional Survey of Preschool Children in Central Java

¹ From the Central Java Provincial Health Service and the Central Java Nutrition Board, Semarang, and the Research Center of the Institute of Nutrition, Ministry of Health of Indonesia, Bogor

A survey of children under 5 years of age in five Central Javanese villages has indicated a condition of chronic undernutrition. The children, although generally healthy in appearance, were small in height and weight, not only by western standards, but in comparison with the Indonesian standard which was based on a survey of children in Djakarta. Slight enlargement of the liver persisted even in the older children. Intestinal parasites were generally rare in the 1st year of life but were found in high percentage in later years. Serum albumin was somewhat low; elevated serum globulin, as well as the medical history, indicated frequency of infections. However, clinically manifest severe malnutrition was the exception.

Only during the first few months of life, provided breast milk is available in sufficient quantity, may the diet be considered adequate. Supplements for the youngest children are largely carbohydrate; that children need a generous amount of the foods high in protein for growth is not generally recognized. Green vegetables, which are almost the only source of vitamin A, are little used. Improvement of the nutritional state will depend not only on increased food supply but also on better understanding on the part of the mother of the dietary requirements of the child.