4-Month-Old Weighing 2.86 Kg Dies Of Malnutrition In Madhya Pradesh, Twin Fights For Life

In a heart-wrenching tragedy that lays bare the grim reality behind official claims, a four-month-old infant has died of severe malnutrition in Madhya Pradesh's Satna while her twin brother continues to battle for life

Supriyanshi, who was also called Priyanshi by her family members, and her twin brother, Naitik, were born on December 21, 2025, at Majhgawan Community Health Centre.

According to official records, their birth weights were already low: 2.0 kg and 1.90 kg. At four months of age, their weight should ideally have been 4 to 5 kilograms. Instead, at the time of admission, Naitik weighed just 2.93 kg and Supriyanshi 2.86 kg, placing them firmly in the Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) category.

The twins suffered from fever, diarrhoea, and vomiting for nearly 15 days. But the family didn't take them to a government health facility and relied on an unlicensed practitioner in Jugulpur village, visiting him five times. Only on April 21 at 5 PM were the critically ill children brought to Majhgawan, from where they were referred to the District Hospital within an hour.

Despite being admitted to the Paediatric ICU and treated by specialists from the Government Medical College, Satna, Supriyanshi's condition deteriorated again on Thursday. Moments before being shifted to Rewa, she died.

Her brother remains critical and has been referred for advanced care.

The investigation has revealed a disturbing pattern. Due to the mother's physical weakness, she was unable to breastfeed the children considered essential for the first six months of life. Instead, they were fed cow and goat milk. Their mother, Vimla Prajapati, admitted to this, a practice doctors say is unsafe and contributed significantly to their worsening condition.

Family Questions Officials

But beyond parental awareness, the spotlight is now firmly on the system.

Despite being registered in the Poshan Tracker, receiving vaccinations, and being eligible for take-home rations, the children slipped through the cracks. Family members say that apart from immunisation visits, there was no regular follow-up by Anganwadi or ASHA workers.

Vimla said that apart from vaccinations, they did not receive the benefits of any government schemes. She said the ASHA worker did not maintain regular contact, due to which timely guidance and assistance were not provided. This is now being seen as a major lapse on the part of the field-level staff.

The children's maternal uncle, Lalit Chakraborty, also questioned the government and asked why Priyanshi was buried in a hurry.

"After Priyanshi's death due to malnutrition, we are questioning both the Women and Child Development Department and the Health Department. The children's health worsened after vaccination. Both were severely malnourished. Why was the girl not taken back to the village after her death? Why was she buried midway? What is being hidden? When the body was sent with the ASHA worker and grandmother, why was it not brought home? This must be investigated," he said.

Negligence Found

Collector Satish Kumar S ordered a joint inquiry, which found negligence in duty.

Show-cause notices were then issued to Anganwadi worker Pooja Pandey, supervisor Karuna Pandey, and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) Vidya Chakraborty. Legal action has also been initiated against illegal practitioners operating in the area.

Officials, however, maintain that systems were in place.

District Program Officer Rajiv Singh said, "The mother and children were registered in the Poshan Tracker system... Take-Home Ration was provided... all vaccinations were administered."

Not Isolated Incident

This is not an isolated incident. In the last six months, three infant deaths in the district have exposed the fragile state of the healthcare system.

Earlier, the death of Bharti from Mahtain village had raised similar concerns, while in October 2025, the death of Hussain Raza from Nayagaon (Marwa) was also linked to malnutrition.

The larger picture is even more alarming.

Government data reveals that over 10 lakh children in Madhya Pradesh are malnourished, with 1.36 lakh suffering from severe wasting. The state's malnutrition rate stands at 7.79%, significantly higher than the national average of 5.4%. As many as 45 out of 55 districts fall in the "red zone."

NDTV Exposed Corruption In Nutrition Supply Chain

In 2022, NDTV had exposed massive irregularities in the nutrition supply chain, from ration transport trucks that were found to be motorcycles to wild exaggeration of the number of beneficiaries.

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The government had denied wrongdoing at the time. But later, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) confirmed a Rs 858 crore scam.

On paper, the state spends Rs 980 per child in nutrition rehabilitation centres, Rs 8 per day per child at Anganwadis, and Rs 12 for severely malnourished children. On the ground, infants are dying.