One more city child blinded by malnutrition

Less than three weeks after a child from a Santacruz slum was rendered blind by malnutrition, another starving child has been admitted with the same condition.

Less than three weeks after a child from a Santacruz slum was rendered blind by malnutrition, another starving child has been admitted with the same condition.

HT Image

Nandini Nadar, 4, who weighs nine kilos — half the average weight — was brought to Sir JJ Hospital by her mother Jyoti Nadar on October 23.

Nandini, who lives in Malvani, was admitted after she complained of vision loss.

Two weeks ago, HT had reported the plight of Surya Mariappa, 4, who has lost his vision to malnutrition. Like Surya, Nandini too is suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition, a World Health Organisation classification that India uses.

Doctors at the hospital are worried that many more such cases are going unreported. “There might be more such cases in the community,” said Dr Ragini Parekh, head of ophthalmology department, JJ hospital.

Nandini’s father, Michael, works at a car towing agency and earns Rs700 a month. “We feed Nandini regularly, but there are times when we don’t have the money to buy rice,” said Jyoti.