Teman Baduta

Stunting is a disturbance of growth and development in children due to chronic malnutrition and recurrent infections. Stunting occurs when the fetus is still in the womb and is only seen when the child is two years old. Malnutrition at an early age increases infant and child mortality, causes sufferers to get sick easily and has not optimal body posture as an adult (MCA Indonesia, 2014). In addition, stunting can affect children under two years old (baduta) in the long term in the form of health problems, education and the child's productivity in the future.

Developing countries, one of which is Indonesia, have several nutritional problems in under-fives, including wasting, anemia, low birth weight, and stunting. The direction and policy of the 2020-2024 RPJMN related to stunting is to increase access, especially in remote areas and the quality of health services towards universal health coverage, with an emphasis on strengthening primary health care through increased promotive and preventive efforts supported by innovation and technology utilization.

Central Sulawesi is one of the provinces in the top 10 which has the highest prevalence of stunting in Indonesia, namely 29.7%, which means that for every 100 toddlers in Central Sulawesi, there are approximately 29 children who fall into the stunting category. Central Sulawesi consists of 13 districts and cities where all districts/cities have a stunting prevalence of more than 20%, this is due to several factors that are inseparable from the pattern of care in the first 1000 days of life.
The golden period in growth and development known as the first 1000 days of life which is 270 days in the womb and 730 days after birth or a term often heard under the age of two years (baduta) is a phase of growth and development of vital organs, physical, optimal cognitive and independence occur in this phase. Baduta is a golden period of growth and development which must be a priority for parenting.

The feeding phase for under-fives is one of the priorities that must be considered because under-aged children are still very dependent on feeding care from their parents or caregivers. Children under two years after being exclusively breastfed at the age of 0-6 months must be given complementary food to breast milk or abbreviated as MP-ASI to support growth and development. MP-ASI that is not optimal or not in accordance with the nutritional intake required by children based on age will affect the growth and development of children.

Based on this, the Baduta Companion application was created to make it easier for parents/caregivers to fulfill children's nutrition and monitor children's growth and development as well as educate local foods that have nutritional requirements.