optimizing the function of kms to reduce malnutrition in toddlers

Good growth and development in the fetus and child is an important factor and determines the growth and development of our children in the future. Children with good growth and development will become a strong, intelligent and quality generation. To achieve this, our children certainly need good nutrition.
    

Recently, we have often heard or read in print and television media about cases of malnutrition in children, especially toddlers. This problem of malnutrition still occurs even though various efforts have been made to suppress its occurrence, including the program for providing supplementary food (PMT) to school children, posyandu, providing milk packages to poor families.

Community participation is of course very important to be able to reduce the incidence of malnutrition in toddlers. High awareness is needed from each family to maintain the health of their family members. Mothers play an important role in this regard, considering that mothers are the main educators and caregivers for their children. One thing that is simple but often forgotten by mothers and health cadres is the Towards Healthy Card (KMS). So far, in the posyandu, according to the author's observations, the use of this card is only limited to recording the child's weight. In fact, often the weight record is not taken home by the mother but is left/kept by the staff so that the KMS function is not optimal.

In fact, in this KMS there is a record of the child's growth, which is represented by the change in weight each month. Mothers' understanding of this weight gain chart is important so that mothers can take action as early as possible if the child's growth does not match his age. This is where the role of health workers and cadres is to be able to explain to mothers what to do if the child's weight chart goes up, flat or even goes down, is on a green, yellow or red line. If this can be done properly, the problem of malnutrition will be detected and treated earlier.

 

In addition, KMS also contains information about food and diet for our children so that it is hoped that mothers can know and try to provide a balanced diet for their children. KMS also provides information about the stages of development that children should be able to do at a certain age, for example at the age of 9 to 12 months a child can walk holding on, etc. A delay at these developmental stages indicates a serious disorder in the child, requiring further examination and action. Accuracy and speed of action will certainly reduce the risk of a worse condition occurring.

 

In addition to weighing each month, children also need immunizations. Immunizations are given so that children avoid various diseases that can be prevented by immunization, such as measles, polio, diphtheria etc. Sick conditions will certainly interfere with the growth and development of children. Information about the administration schedule, and side effects need to be given to the mother. Often, especially in rural areas, mothers refuse their children to be immunized because they are afraid that their children will have a fever or get sick after immunization.

 

Ideally, KMS is always carried and kept by each mother, so that they can monitor the development and growth of their children. It is this ability to "read" KMS that should be socialized more to mothers and health cadres so that KMS does not only function as a place to record the results of weighing children's weights, but what is more important to understand is its comprehensive function to monitor the growth and development and health status of children.