According to Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, malnutrition is not a major cause of death among babies as a report shows that only 2% children die of it in the country.

Azad said, "As per the latest available data with the Registrar General of India (RGI) for 2001-03, two percent of the total infant deaths were due to malnutrition."

But, the minister said that malnutrition may raise morbidity as well as mortality by cutting resistance to illnesss.

As per health ministry figures, infant mortality rate has come down from 57 per 1,000 live births in the year 2006 to 53 per 1,000 live births in the year 2008.

Malnutrition is the inadequate, unnecessary or unfair consumption of required nutrients.

Lots of different nutrition disorders may take place, hinging upon which nutrients are under or overabundant in the diet. (With Inputs from Agencies)