Evaluation of Nutritional Status of Children with Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infection

Abstract

Background: Pediatric respiratory disease remains an important cause of morbidity in both developing and developed world. Several risk factors are associated with acute respiratory infection (ARIs), some of them are un-modifiable (e.g. age and sex of the child), while others are modifiable and these include nutritional and environmental modifiable risk factors (e.g. lack of breastfeeding and severe malnutrition). Objective: This study was designed to evaluate nutritional status of children with acute lower respiratory tract infection. Patients and methods: This study included 40 children, aged from 1 to 5 years suffering from acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI). The children were subjected to complete history, clinical examination and laboratory investigation as estimation of serum level of zinc and pre-albumin. Results: In children with ALRI, there was non-significant difference between children with pneumonia, bronchitis and bronchopneumonia as regard breast feeding, supplementation, MAC, Zinc and pre-albumin, however, the difference between them was significant as regarding BMI and nutritional status. Conclusion: The results of this study concluded that there is positive relation between nutritional status of child and acute LRTI. There was significant decrease in mortality and morbidity due to RTI after improvement of nutritional status of children. The level of zinc and pre-albumin were affected by nutritional status of children.