The severity of malnutrition at the time of cancer diagnosis puts children at a greater risk of infection
Cuddles Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation focused on bringing holistic food and nutrition to underprivileged children fighting cancer in government cancer hospitals, recently released the first organised assessment conducted in India on the impact of good nutrition on children with cancer titled, “Childhood Cancer in India”.
Elaborating on the findings Purnota Dutta Bahl, Founder, CEO & Trustee, Cuddles Foundation, said, “Research shows that the survival rates can go up to 70 per cent or more if treatment for childhood cancer is multidisciplinary and includes proper nutrition at the right time.
The severity of malnutrition at the time of cancer diagnosis puts children at a greater risk of infection, side effects, complications and treatment delays.
Cuddles’ on-ground experience validates that with the support of nutrition counselling and nutrition aid, 80 per cent of patients improved or maintained their nutritional status despite cancer therapy. Additionally, 94 per cent of patients counselled returned for a second visit or continued treatment.
The report has been published with valuable insights drawn from the FoodHeals App, a first-of-its-kind tech platform developed by Cuddles that automates clinical nutritional functions. The app has helped create an ecosystem for medical and nutrition teams to collaborate more effectively and make specialised nutritional care accessible to children.