The cases of growth retardation have increased in number in Moldova owing to the poor living conditions and the bad habits of parents or children, said doctor habilitate and university lecturer  Nineli Revenco, who heads the Rheumatology Section of the “Mother and Child” Center.
 
Contacted by IPN, the doctor said that the first years of life of a child and the teenage years are the most important for development. “I call on the parents to pay an increased attention to the children namely in these periods. Not only the physical growth, but also the mental development depends on this. The children must be loved and protected,” said Nineli Revenco.

The stunted growth is typical especially of poor families where the food is not balanced or where the parents drink alcohol. Retardation can also appear as a result of administering certain drugs. The weather conditions and dryness can also stop the child’s development. That’s why the parents must make sure that there is sufficient humidity in the room, said the doctor.

Growth retardation can be reduced by improving the alimentation of the mother and child, taking vitamins and minerals, especially during pregnancy, during the child’s first two years of life and in adolescence.

According to a report by UNICEF, about 165 million children younger than five worldwide suffer from growth retardation because of poverty and unfavorable conditions. In Moldova, there are no relevant official data.