Prevalence and Biochemical Risk Factors of Severe Acute Malnutrition in Infants Under 6 Months Old in Single Tertiary Referral Hospital

Abstract

Severe acute malnutrition remains to be a burden in developing countries, including Indonesia. Recent studies and researches started to highlight the importance of recognizing severe acute malnutrition in infants under 6 months old. This is a cross-sectional study aims to know the prevalence and biochemical risk factors of severe acute malnutrition in infants under 6 months old in our single tertiary referral hospital, Sanglah General Hospital, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. From January 2017 to December 2018, there were 138 children with severe acute malnutrition admitted to Sanglah General Hospital, Denpasar. From 138 subjects, 19 were below 6 months old of age (13,8%) and 119 were older than 6 months old (86,2%). Majority of our study samples were males with ratio of 1,5:1, had length of stay of more than 15 days (60,9%) and were marasmic (96,4%). Death occurred in 44,9% of study samples. Bivariate analysis including gender, length of stay, death, comorbidities, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, hypokalemia, hyponatremia and hypocalcemia. Of all the variables analyzed, only hypocalcemia yielded significant result with prevalence ratio between below and older than 6 months old age group was 0,432 (<i>p value </i>0,045). The prevalence of hypocalcemia in infants under 6 months old with acute severe malnutrition is lower than children above 6 months old of age.