Empty Bodies

Child malnutrition, especially in children under five years of age, is a problem that seriously affects a countrys development. This research seeks to help reduce child malnutrition, since early childhood is key for physical growth and intellectual and emotional development, which depend on adequate nutrition. In Ecuador, 27.2% of children under two years of age suffer from chronic malnutrition, which impacts not only their development, but also the countrys long-term productivity. The lack of adequate nutrition before the age of five results in lower weight and height indexes, and has a negative impact on their physical and intellectual health. Malnutrition is not only due to a lack of food, but also to parents lack of knowledge about how to feed their children correctly, which aggravates damage to the body, including possible negative effects on the brain due to nutrient deficiencies.