The Difference Between Stunting and Stunted in Children: Dr Ian Suteja Explains

Short stature in children is often labelled as stunting by the public, but medically there is a fundamental difference between stunting and the condition known as stunted (short). Paediatric specialist Dr Ian Suteja explains that not all short children automatically have stunting. Understanding the difference is crucial for parents to avoid mismanaging nutritional or medical treatment. In short, a child who is stunted is definitely stunted (short), but a short child is not necessarily stunted.

Dr Ian notes that stunting is a growth disorder that occurs due to chronic malnutrition over a long period. This is usually triggered by insufficient food intake or recurrent accompanying illnesses.

“The nutrition isn’t sufficient; it’s not to increase weight and height but rather to address the diseases mentioned. So it relates to the nutrients that enter and how the body utilises its energy,” Dr Ian said during a health discussion in Jakarta.

This long-term growth disorder caused by malnutrition is what results in a child being stunted—height below the average for their age.

Unlike stunting, the condition of stunted or short stature is not always related to nutritional problems. According to the doctor who graduated from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), stunted status leans more toward internal body factors.

Some of the causes of stunted stature include:

Considering that stunting remains a serious health challenge in Indonesia, Dr Ian reminds parents to be proactive. The best prevention is regular monitoring of growth curves from birth. Parents are advised to take their child to a paediatrician or health facility every month, at least until the child is one year old. Besides vaccinations, these routine visits also serve to detect early any deviation or abnormality in the child’s height and weight growth curves before it is too late.