Abstract
The following article on the use of foods from the “family pot” for the rehabilitation of malnourished children supports the conviction of many health workers that, in principle, this is the most practical approach to the prevention of malnutrition among pre-school children, even in impoverished families The small shifts in food distribution within the family that are required with this approach are of negligible significance for the other family members, but of critical importance for the young child. The problem in the past has been the lack of a means of persuading a mother of the need to feed her child more, particularly when she is already breast-feeding. This obstacle can be overcome if the mother can monitor the chid's growth and learn that a failure to gain weight from one weighing time to another means that more food is necessary. If there is evidence of disease, medical attention may also be indicated.
Of course, the implementation of this approach is subject to cultural variation in the suitability of foods being used by the other members of the family. For reasons which include high fibre content, strong seasoning, and low nutrient density, some foods will not be appropriate for infants and young children. Also, the phrase “family pot” may well apply to some cultures, but in others there is no single pot, but rather a variety of foods, some of which are always suitable for the young child. If cultural variations are taken into account, the concept advanced by this article should be universally applicable.