Influence of Maternal Short Stature on the Stunting Levels of Infants and Toddlers: A Case Study of Urban Slums in Chennai

Undernutrition (manifested as stunting) indicates a failure to achieve a child’s genetic potential for height. Due to dearth of studies on the stunting levels of children in Chennai the present study makes an attempt to assess their nutritional status. The main objective of this research is to analyse the influence of maternal short stature on the stunting levels of infants/toddlers. Logistic regression model has been used to assess the association and statistical results show that maternal factors like education of the mother, taking vitamin tablets during pregnancy, breastfeeding the child and weight of the mother significantly influence the stunting levels of her child. Height of the mother is found to be negatively associated with stunting, thus emphasising that maternal short stature is a significant contributor to a child’s stunting levels, especially in slum areas. Suitable policies and interventions are suggested for children younger than two years to prevent growth retardation, intellectual impairment and avoid intergenerational effects of stunting.