Epidemioclinical and Therapeutic Aspects of Malnutrition at Pediatrics Department of Mali Hospital

Abstract

Severe acute malnutrition still constitutes a worrying public health problem today. In its complicated form, it remains a significant cause of infant mortality in our countries. Objective: To study the epidemiological-clinical and therapeutic aspects of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) complicated by anemia. Methodology: This is a retrospective descriptive study from 2019-2020 and prospective 2021 which took place at the Mali hospital. The study focused on all children aged 6 to 59 months hospitalized for severe acute malnutrition complicated by anemia. The Results: From January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021, we screened 5,676 children among whom 200 children were diagnosed with SAM complicated by anemia with a hospital frequency of 3.52%. Children under 5 years old were the most represented with 85.5% of cases. There was no predominance of sex, the ratio =1. In our study, marasmus was the majority with a rate of 88.5% followed by kwashiorkor 7% and the mixed form 4.5%. The main complications observed were dehydration, fever, severe anemia and hypoglycemia with respective rates of 27%, 16%, 13.5% and 9.5%. The patient profile had hypochromic microcytic anemia with a number of 167 or 83.5% most often linked to iron deficiency. Gastroenteritis, pneumonia, malaria, and cerebral palsy were the most frequent associated pathologies during our study with respective rates of 48.5%, 34%, 26% and 12.5%. Conclusion: At the end of our study at the Mali hospital where the investigation took place, we managed to conclude that children aged 6 to 59 months who were screened for severe acute malnutrition had severe anemia with a rate of 13.5% microcytic type to 83.5% which explains that iron deficiency was the most plausible cause and 57% of these children screened had pallor.