THE deepening global economic crisis could raise infant mortality and malnutrition rates by up to 10 per cent, a UN official said on Tuesday, urging Asian governments to protect millions of vulnerable children.

Despite budgetary constraints, there is no reason to cut back on social spending, director for East Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Anupama Rao Singh, told a conference in Singapore.

Ms Singh warned that, based on previous experience, the current economic crisis could result in a 5-10 per cent increase in anemia among pregnant women and a 10 per cent rise in low birth weight among babies.

Infant mortality is expected to increase between 3.0 and 10 per cent and the malnutrition rate among children could grow by 10 per cent, she told a conference, without specifying exactly the number of youngsters at risk.

While economies in the region have been affected by the global slump, many are still expected to post conomic growth, although at a slower pace, she said.

'In this context, I think the first implication for us is that there is absolutely no justification for cutting back programmes and services for the poor or for children. This is not the time to do it,' Ms Singh said.

'On the contrary, this is the time to sustain and actually expand social investments.'

Ms Singh was speaking at a conference organised to assess the impact of the global economic crisis on children. The event was jointly sponsored by UNICEF and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

There are concerns that shrinking national budgets could force governments to cut back on social spending such as healthcare, nutrition and education, affecting a massive number of children, according to experts. -- AFP