Some 350 infants treated for malnutrition, eight die in Lebak

Three of the baby patients were in critical condition and needed to be treated intensively, Deputy Director of Adjdarmo Hospital Meutia Elda said here on Friday.

Malnutrition patients are vulnerable to other diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, respiratory and indigestion problems, because they lack protein and carbohydrates, she said.

She said the malnutrition problem among infants in Lebak was partly due to ignorance on the part of the infants` parents. Therefore, the local administration would continue to launch public awareness campaigns on health and the need to ensure that infants always had a proper food intake, Elda said.