Children under the age of two are not getting the nutrients they need to grow well, warns a UNICEF children's feeding study.

According to the study that is cited by UN News, this scenario can cause irreversible damage to children's development. 

The study was done in 91 countries and found that only half of all children get the minimum recommended number of meals per day. And only a third consume the minimum amount of essential nutrients.  

According to UNICEF, the problem is more pronounced among children who live in rural areas or come from poor families. 

Unicef stresses that from the very beginning of food introduction, it must be ensured that "babies and children eat fruits, vegetables, and protein sources." According to Unicef, this would prevent future learning problems, low immunity, and propensity to infections.  

The Unicef document says that increasing poverty, inequalities, conflicts, and climate-related disasters are contributing to malnutrition in children under two. 

Henrietta Fore, executive director of UNICEF, agrees that the situation has improved very little in the last ten years.  

He stressed that a nutrient-poor diet in the first two years of life can forever impair physical and brain growth. 

Fore called on governments and civil society to work to transform the social protection, health, and food systems.