How Kerala plans to prevent child deaths linked to malnutrition and neglect

Story so far: A two-year-old boy died in Alappuzha district’s Karthikapally near Haripad on October 18, reportedly due to severe malnutrition and acute anaemia. The death occurred when the boy’s mother was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Vandanam for delivery. The boy weighed around 7.5 kg against the average weight of 12 kg for a two-year-old child.

The child’s death has shocked the country and raised questions about the effectiveness of child protection measures. This was the mother’s seventh birth. The couple has four more children, all girls, except for a newborn boy. Another child, again a boy, died earlier.

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has registered a suo motu case in connection with the incident. The District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) took custody of the four girls.

The Thrikkunnapuzha police, who have registered a case of unnatural death, are awaiting the results of a histopathological test to confirm whether any disease or malnutrition was behind the child’s death. The health status of the surviving children is also being checked, the police said.

What are the charges against the parents?

According to the Women and Child Development Department (WCD) and panchayat authorities, the family mostly lived a nomadic life and rarely stayed in one place for long. They mostly lived in rented accommodation and moved out whenever the intervention of authorities was expected due to complaints from people or mechanisms under the WCD and health ministries.

The constant moving also made it difficult for the authorities to track them.

The four girls had been living in the children’s home since December 2024. During this year’s summer vacation, the couple insisted that the children return to them. The CWC therefore passed the order. However, even after the holidays, despite repeated requests, the parents refused to return the girls back to the nursing home.

In June this year, the family was shifted to Gandhi Bhavan in Pathanapuram following the intervention of Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who is the local MLA, and ASHA and anganwadi workers. The whole family was promised not only accommodation, but also work. However, they did not stay there even a week, returning after the mother threatened suicide and starvation.

On October 6, WCD department officials, panchayat officials, ASHA workers, health officials and the police tried to shift the couple’s children to a nursing home, but the mother met stiff resistance. They had to back off after the mother threatened to harm herself and the child.

A decision was then made to move the babies to safety as the mother was admitted to the hospital to give birth. However, the toddler died while the mother was hospitalized.

At the time of his death, the family was living in a house in Karthikapally that belonged to the husband’s family. However, he was said to be in a deplorable condition.

WCD officials say food has been provided from anganwadis for the mother and younger children and efforts have been made to enroll the eldest child in school.

The management of the primary health center repeatedly urged the mother to undergo medical examinations because she was pregnant. But she allegedly did not cooperate with them at all and spewed abuse at them.

Panchayat officials claim that the children have been neglected by their parents. The children were often fed by neighbors.

The couple was said to be reluctant to accept family planning. The mother gave birth to seven children within 10 years. The father was also allegedly an alcoholic.

The children were not fully vaccinated and also lacked documents such as birth certificates or Aadhaar.

How did the authorities react to the child’s death?

Women and Child Development Minister Bindhu Krishna, who ended the toddler’s heartbreaking death by malnutrition, said the Women and Child Development Department was aware of the matter and had intervened several times “seriously” to resolve it.

The mother was consulted and underwent a procedure to terminate the pregnancy. She will stay in the hospital with the newborn for a few more days. A mental health evaluation is on the cards. CWC is also ready to take care of newborns.

Have more such cases been reported in Alappuzha?

A similar case was reported from Purakkad in Alappuzha. The family in question is poor, does not have enough food, and the mother is pregnant with the fifth child, according to the minister.

Kerala has seen infant deaths due to malnutrition in tribal areas like Attappady in Palakkad in the past.

How did the government respond to solving this problem?

Minister Bindhu Krishna said the incident points to systemic problems. Although the department rescued the children, further interventions were halted by opposition from the parents. Instead of stopping or going back steps to ensure the welfare of children, the lack of cooperation from any side needs to be overcome. In this case, when the children did not return to the childcare center after the holidays, senior officials should have been involved to keep the children safe.

“The department’s responsibility does not end with taking decisions or issuing orders. Implementation is key. The mindset should be that we are the guardian of every child,” the minister said, adding that support from other departments should be provided if necessary.

What steps are planned to prevent such incidents from happening again?

Nationwide vulnerability mapping will be carried out to identify children living in vulnerable conditions that pose a risk to their health, education and safety. Once vulnerable children have been identified and their data collected, regular follow-ups will take place.

Coordination between various departments will be strengthened and regular meetings of child welfare and welfare committees will be held, from district to village level.

District Women and Child Development Officers will be fully responsible for ensuring the safety and rehabilitation of children.

Social investigation reports must be submitted to Child Welfare Committees within a time limit. Individual care plans will be drawn up for all children in care institutions. Only if the social investigation report confirms that the child is safe will the child be sent back to the family. Even after rehabilitation of the children, the anganwadi worker, ICDS supervisor and psychosocial counselor should continue to monitor their situation.

Children’s nutrition and growth will be monitored and urgent interventions will be made if malnutrition or neglect is detected.

Published – 24 Oct 2026 08:43 IST