Wasting has been relatively low (5%) and no severe
malnutrition among young children has been reported as a
public health problem since the late 1980s. Despite the
economic crisis that hit Thailand in 1997, rates of both
stunting and underweight did not increase.26 The prevalence
of low birth weight increased slightly (from 8.2% in
1996 to 8.7% in 1998). There was a slight upward trend
in school child underweight prevalence (14.9% in 1997),
but this level decreased to 12.5% in the subsequent year.