The study carried out by the fund's branches across the country indicates that 55 per cent of the under-five mortality is associated with child malnutrition, a UNICEF message on national nutrition week, which began yesterday, said.

Death rates were found to be high among the low-birth weight babies, it said adding in West Bengal alone 37 per cent of the children were born weighing less than the threshold 2.5 kg.

The devastating consequences of malnutrition observed among the surveyed children ranged from early growth retardation leading to a broad range of functional and learning disabilities including delayed motor development, cognitive impairments and decreased IQ levels.

In West Bengal alone about 56.8 per cent of children in the 0-4 years age group were found to be underweight, it said adding all of them ran a highrisk of infection and death.

Pointing out that malnutrition was imposing a tremendous burden on the national economy, the message said annual national loss in terms of economic productivity was estimated to be close to Rs 1200 billion.

Pregnant women and young children were found to be the most serious sufferers of the adverse effects caused by malnutrition owing to their increased nutritional needs.

Equitable food distribution both within the community as well as the household was needed to alleviate the situation, it said.

Worried over the rising number of malnutrition-induced deaths in small children UNICEF has dedicated this year's theme towards preventing malnutrition among kids under two years.

While it was important to have adequate food throughout the childhood for attaining optimal growth, it was also crucial during the first two years of a child's life when very rapid growth occurs, it added.