CHRONICALLY malnourished children struggle to read and write simple sentences regardless of their level of schooling, according to research by Save the Children.

A report by the charity Food for Thought shows eight-year-olds stunted by malnutrition are 19% more likely to make a mistake reading a simple sentence such as "The sun is hot".

Stunted children are also 12.5% more likely to make a mistake writing a simple sentence and do 7% worse with basic maths questions.

Save the Children chief executive Justin Forsyth said: "These findings confirm our very worst fears – poor nutrition is capable of seriously damaging a child's life chances before he or she even sets foot in a classroom.

"We have made huge progress in tackling child deaths, but having one-quarter of the world's children at risk of under-performing at school will have grave consequences for the fight to end global poverty."

The findings, based on research with thousands of children in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam, come 10 days before a global nutrition summit in London on June 8 and ahead of this year's G8.

According to Save the Children, the global economic impact of malnutrition could be up to £80 billion. One in four children worldwide are believed to be stunted.

Save the Children's report, meanwhile, also highlights the economic cost of chronic malnutrition as stunted children could earn as much as 20% less in adulthood.

The charity is urging the public to support the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign which will hold a mass rally in Hyde Park, London on the day of the summit.