Prevalence Of Undernutrition In Children Research Articles

Double burden of malnutrition in urbanized settled Tibetan communities on the Tibetan plateau.

A previous pilot study revealed stunted children and obese adults in urbanized settled Tibetan communities. A survey with a representative population in selected communities was conducted to test the preliminary findings. A cross-sectional study on the nutritional status involving 504 children (244 boys and 260 girls, 5-16 y) and 927 adults (422 men and 505 women, 18-90 y) was conducted in communities, with anthropometric parameters measured. The z-scores for height-for-age (HAZ) and BMI-for-age (BAZ) in children were calculated according to WHO 2007 reference. The children showed a double burden of both under- and over-nutrition. The prevalence of under-nutrition in children was high - stunting (HAZ <-2) 10.7%, underweight (BAZ <-2) 9.5%, combined prevalence of stunting and underweight 19.4%. The rate of over-nutrition was also alarming - obesity 12.7% (BAZ >2). The mean value of HAZ (- 0.45±1.41) was lower than, whereas that of BAZ (0.05±1.76) was comparable to, the WHO reference. No significant differences were found in under- or over-nutrition between genders. Specifically, 8.9% of children demonstrated both short stature (HAZ <-1) and overweight (BAZ >1). By contrast, community adults showed almost a one-way direction tilted towards over-nutrition - overweight 61.4% (BMI ≥24 kg/m2), obesity 30.1% (BMI ≥28 kg/m2), and central obesity 62.0% (waist circumference, men ≥85 cm, women ≥80 cm). Women were marginally more likely to be obese than men (p=0.061). The co-existence of under- and over-nutrition in the community may have reflected the suboptimal early life nutrition and the obesogenic environment afterwards. Potential determinants need to be explored for future interventions.

Risk factors associated with under nutrition among children aged 6-59 months in Ngorongoro, Arusha region, Tanzania: a case-control study, 2017.

Introductionchildhood undernutrition is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children below five years of age especially in developing countries like Tanzania, particularly in rural area. Inappropriate child caring and feeding practices have been strongly associated with it. Many actions have been taken to reduce prevalence of undernutrition in children in Ngorongoro district, however, the problem persist. This study identified risk factors associated with undernutrition in children under-five years of age in Ngorongoro district, Arusha region.Methodsa health facility-based unmatched case-control study was conducted with 400 (100 cases and 300 controls) children aged 6-59 months. Cases included children with undernutrition according to the WHO anthropometric indicators. Controls were children within the normal range of these indicators. Both cases and controls, were obtained from children attending the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) for assessment of growth and development or admitted in pediatric ward. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic characteristics, child health and caring practices and environmental factors. Height, weight and Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) were measured using standard approaches. We employed logistic regression analysis to identify significant risk factors for undernutrition.Resultsundernutrition was associated with young age of mothers/caregivers (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR)=38.8, 95% CI: 15.38-59.03.); early age of initiation complementary foods (aOR=13.6, 95%CI: 3.15-59.06); a child having diarrhoea in past one month (aOR=4.0; 95%CI: 1.76-12.85); large family size (aOR=6.1, 95% CI: 2.16-16.90); low frequency of feeding (aOR=3.9, 95%CI: 1.59-9.58); low birth weight (aOR:=7.3, 95%: CI: 1.15-46.70); and source of drinking water; well (aOR=16.3, 95%: CI: 1.81-147.05) and surface water (aOR=16.18, 95%CI: 1.85-141.71).Conclusionhousehold and individual characteristics of the children and mother/caregiver are important predictors of undernutrition in this community. Tailored interventions, instead of blanket approaches, should be designed to mitigate and eliminate childhood undernutrition in Ngorongoro.

Women's decision-making power and undernutrition in their children under age five in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A cross-sectional study.

Undernutrition in children remains a major global health issue and the prevalence of undernutrition in children under age five in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is among the highest in the world. Both biological and socioeconomic factors contribute to undernutrition, and the literature reports an association between women’s empowerment and lower rates of child undernutrition in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the relationship between women’s decision-making power and child undernutrition is less understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between women’s decision-making power and stunting/wasting in their children under age five in the DRC. This study used cross-sectional data from the 2013–2014 DRC Demographic and Health Survey, from which a sample of 3,721 woman-child pairs were identified. Women were classified as having decision-making power in five decision-making dimensions if they participated in the decision either alone or jointly with their husband or partner or someone else. Child height-for-age and weight-for-height Z-scores were used to determine stunting and wasting, respectively, according to the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards. Multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that none of the five dimensions of decision-making power were associated with stunting or wasting in children. Further research that evaluates women’s decision-making power with more detailed, relevant and context-specific measures is warranted to more accurately investigate women’s decision-making power and undernutrition in children.

Inequality of childhood undernutrition in Bangladesh: A decomposition approach.

Undernutrition is one of the major public health concerns in Bangladesh. This study examined the trends and patterns of childhood undernutrition, inequality, and its socioeconomic contributors in Bangladesh. Data were extracted from the last four rounds of the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (BDHS). A regression-based decomposition method was applied to assess the socioeconomic contributors of inequality. Although the prevalence of childhood undernutrition has declined during the period 2004 to 2014, the rate of undernutrition is higher among the children of mothers who had lower education, live in rural areas, and are from the poorest wealth quintile. Socioeconomic status accounted for almost half of the total inequality in the prevalence of both stunting and underweight among children, whereas maternal education was ranked second among the contributors. Findings of the study indicate that undernutrition inequalities in terms of socioeconomic aspects appear to have widened over time. Improving economic activity and maternal education will improve the nutritional status of children and as a consequence reduce inequality. Therefore, investments in education, creation of working opportunities, and empowerment of vulnerable and disadvantaged people along with nutrition-specific interventions will be important measures to eliminate this inequality at the population level.

Undernourished children presenting to an urban emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Tanzania: a prospective descriptive study

Background: Childhood undernutrition causes significant morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Tanzania, the in-hospital prevalence of undernutrition in children under five years of age is approximated to be 30% with a case fatality rate of 8.8%. In Tanzania, the burden of undernourished children under five years of age presenting to emergency departments (EDs) and their outcomes are unknown. This study describes the clinical profiles and outcomes of this population presenting to the emergency department of Muhimbili National Hospital (ED-MNH), a large, urban hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.MethodsThis was a prospective descriptive study of children aged 1–59 months presenting to the ED-MNH over eight weeks in July and August 2016. Enrolment occurred through consecutive sampling. Children less than minus one standard deviation below World Health Organization mean values for Weight for Height/Length, Height for Age, or Weight for Age were recruited. Structured questionnaires were used to document primary outcomes of patient demographics and clinical presentations, and secondary outcomes of 24-h and 30-day mortality. Data was summarised using descriptive statistics and relative risks (RR).ResultsA total of 449 children were screened, of whom 34.1% (n = 153) met criteria for undernutrition and 95.4% (n = 146) of those children were enrolled. The majority of these children, 56.2% (n = 82), were male and the median age was 19 months (IQR 10–31 months). They presented most frequently with fever 24.7% (n = 36) and cough 24.0% (n = 35). Only 6.7% (n = 9) were diagnosed with acute undernutrition by ED-MNH physicians. Mortality at 24 h and 30 days were 2.9% (n = 4) and 12.3% (n = 18) respectively. A decreased level of consciousness with Glasgow Coma Scale below fifteen on arrival to the ED and tachycardia from initial vital signs were found to be associated with a statistically significant increased risk of death in undernourished children, with mortality rates of 16.1% (n = 23), and 24.6% (n = 35), respectively.ConclusionsIn an urban ED of a tertiary referral hospital in Tanzania, undernutrition remains under-recognized and is associated with a high rate of in-hospital mortality.

Identification of infants at risk of child undernutrition in India: building a predictive algorithm with data from a nationally representative survey

Abstract Background India is at the centre of global child undernutrition, with a burden of malnourished children nearly twice that of all sub-Saharan African countries. The Indian government has established many national-level initiatives to address this public health crisis. However, there is substantial variation between and within states in the prevalence of child undernutrition, and strategies to identify at-risk populations are needed in the context of limited resources. Here, we describe the development of an algorithm that can be deployed at the time of delivery to characterise newborns' risk of undernutrition in the first 5 years of life. Methods We extracted data on 232 440 children younger than 5 years from the 2015–16 National Family Health Survey. A child was considered undernourished if either height-for-age, weight-for-height, or weight-for-age was more than 2 SD below median WHO child growth standards. We used predictor variables identified in published studies if they could be measured at the time of delivery and used multilevel logistic regression to model the outcome. Model calibration was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. We tested internal validity of the model using 200 bootstrapped samples to derive an optimism-adjusted c-statistic. All analyses were done with svy command in STATA to account for complex clustered sampling. Findings In 2016, 54·7% of Indian children younger than 5 years were either stunted (38·4%), underweight (35·8%), or wasted (21·0%). The predictive model for overall undernutrition included maternal factors (height, education, reproductive history, number of antenatal visits), child factors (sex and birthweight), and household characteristics (district of residence, caste, rural residence, toilet availability, presence of a separate kitchen). The model demonstrated good discrimination ability (c-statistic: 0·688, optimism-adjusted c: 0·686). The prevalence of child undernutrition in the lowest decile risk group was 24·0%, and in the highest decile risk group it was 77·9%. Interpretation We are developing a mobile-based app to collect the information and categorise children into a risk decile at the time of delivery. Since more than 80% of births in India are registered by community health workers, who are also responsible for implementing child nutrition programmes, this tool could help workers identify infants at risk of malnutrition and prioritise their interventions. Funding AS: NIH-NCATS (TL1-TR001454) and NIH-NICHD (1F30HD091975-01A1) [AS] and NIH-NIMH (P60-MD006912-05) [JA].

The Determinants of Anthropometric Deficits in Children under Five Years Old in Tete Province Mozambique Using Hierarchy Approach

Introduction: The malnutrition in children under 5 years is a serious public health problem in the developing countries such as Mozambique. The stunting can affect cognitive and physical development and compromise the school performance. Method: A cross sectional study was carried out which used the secondary data from a survey conducted by National Health Institute of Mozambique, in districts of Angonia, Tsangano, Magoe and Changara in Tete Province, Mozambique. The polynomial regression model and the hierarchical approach were used to examine the association between social economic factors and malnutrition in children measured by stunting (low height for age) and underweight (low weight for age). Results: The prevalence of moderate and severe stunting was 39.8%, and prevalence of moderate and severe underweight was 19.6%. In the basic level, the households that had 1 durable goods possession were associated to 1.46 times greater than the mild underweight, OR = 1.46 (C.I. 95% 1.02 - 2.11). In the intermediate level, lack of latrine increased 2.01 times greater than the moderate and severe underweight in children, OR = 2.01 (C.I. 95% 1.09 - 3.70); In the immediate level, the child deworming had 1.91 times greater than the moderate and severe stunting, OR = 1.91 (C.I.95% 1.04 - 3.52) and children who did not breastfeed had 2.42 times greater than the moderate and severe stunting, OR = 2.42 (C.I. 1.49 - 3.43). Conclusion: In the countries where the weak health system and the inadequate children food are frequent, the prevalence of undernutrition in children remains very high.

Examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and the double burden of maternal over and child under-nutrition in Bangladesh.

There is little research on the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and the familial co-existence of maternal over and child under-nutrition (MOCU). Most of these studies conducted in the Latin American countries. Therefore, we intended to further this important area of query by exploring the relationship between SES and the dual burden of MOCU in Bangladesh. We used data from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (BDHS). The analyses were based on the responses of 5687 mother-child pairs. We focused standard of living (hereafter referred to as wealth) as a measure of SES. We determined MOCU if there were an undernourished child and an overweight mother in the same household. Maternal overweight and MOCU prevalence is higher among the wealthier segment whereas prevalence of child under-nutrition is higher among the poorest segment of the households. The relative risk of a household having MOCU increased by the factors of 2.84 (confidence interval (CI) = 1.58-5.12) among households with richest bands of wealth compared to the poorest category. Household from the medium (Relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.07-3.28) and richer SES groups (RRR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.39-4.69) had increased chance for MOCU as compared to the household from poorest SES group. As opposed to findings from other Latin American countries, the prevalence of MOCU in Bangladesh is higher in the wealthiest households. Findings of our study therefore suggest that overweight prevention programs in wealthier households of Bangladesh need to think out the possibility that their focus households may also include underweight persons.

The Nutrition Paradox in India: The Coexistence of Undernutrition and Overnutrition.

Undernutrition and overnutrition pose a significant challenge in many developing countries, including India. While one of the millennium development goal was to eradicate poverty and hunger by 2015, leaving health service workers with a compounding dilemma of solving both undernutrition and overnutrition concurrently. Both undernutrition and overnutrition are linked with a range of adverse health conditions. The underweights are susceptible to poor maternal and infant health as well as childhood growth problems and compromised mental development, whereas obese are associated with chronic diseases as stroke, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. The prevalence of child undernutrition was 60% in 1990 which came to 40% in 2011. India still continues to have a larger share of stunted, underweight, and wasted children. The underweight rate was about 52% in 1992 and declined to 47% in 1998 and remained nearly almost same (46%) in 2005-2006. On the other hand, overnutrition is also becoming a major public health problem over the past several decades. Studies have shown an increase in overweight children and adults over the past 2 decades especially.

Does planning of births affect childhood undernutrition? Evidence from demographic and health surveys of selected South Asian countries.

The prevalence of child undernutrition in South Asia is high, as is also the unmet need for family planning. In previous literature, the biodemographic relationship of family planning, particularly birth order and birth spacing, and nutritional status of children have been assessed separately. The aim of this study was to work on the hypothesis that the planning of births comprising timing, spacing, and number of births improves child undernutrition, especially in the areas with high prevalence of stunting and underweight. We used recent Demographic and Health Survey data from four selected South Asian countries. Binary logistic regression models were applied to estimate the adjusted percentage of stunting and underweight by identified independent factors. Findings suggested that after controlling for other socioeconomic factors, children in the first birth order with >24 mo of interval between marriage and first birth have a lower risk for stunting (20%; p <0.01) and underweight (14%; p <0.05), respectively, than other scenarios of the planning of births. The probability of child undernutrition is lower among children born with >24 mo of birth spacing than its counterpart in all birth orders, but the significance of birth spacing reduces with increasing birth orders. Appropriate planning of births using family planning methods in countries with high birth rates has the potential to reduce childhood undernutrition. Thus, the planning of births emerges as an important biodemographic approach to eradicate childhood undernutrition especially in developing regions like South Asia and thereby to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030.

Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment: A Reliable Screening Tool for Nutritional Assessment in Cerebral Palsy Children.

To determine the prevalence of undernutrition in children with cerebral palsy and to compare subjective and objective methods of nutritional assessment. This was a hospital based analytical observational study in which 180 children of cerebral palsy, aged 1-12 y, attending tertiary level hospital, Jaipur from March, 2012 through March, 2013 were included. Subjective assessment was done by questionnaire (Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment; SGNA) in which questions related to nutrition history and physical examination, signs of fat, muscle wasting and edema was done while objective assessment was done by weight, height and triceps skinfold thickness (TSFT) measurements. In this study prevalence of undernutrition by subjective method (SGNA) was 76.67% while by objective measurement (weight, height, TSFT) was 48.89%, 77.78% 35.18% respectively. There was fair to moderate agreement between the SGNA and objective assessments including weight and height (k=0.341, p=0.000; k=0.337, p=0.000 respectively) while for TSFT agreement between both methods was poor (k=0.092, p=0.190). In the index study, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of SGNA was for weight was 95%, 37%, 56%, 90%; for height 84%, 50%, 85%, 47%; for TSFT 81%, 30%, 38%, 75% respectively. The prevalence of undernutrition is high in cerebral palsy children. SGNA can be a reliable tool for assessing nutritional status in children with cerebral palsy and is a simple, comprehensive, noninvasive, and cost-effective tool for screening undernutrition in children of cerebral palsy.

Meal frequency and dietary diversity feeding practices among children 6\u201323\xa0months of age in Wolaita Sodo town, Southern Ethiopia

BackgroundChild feeding practices are multidimensional, and they change rapidly within short age intervals. Suboptimal complementary feeding practices contribute to a rapid increase in the prevalence of undernutrition in children in the age of 6–23 months. Information on child feeding practices among urban resident is limited in Ethiopia. The aim was to measure minimum meal frequency and dietary diversity and associated factors among children 6–23 months of age in Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was carried out to select 623 mothers/caregivers with 6–23 months of children reside in Wolaita Sodo town using systematic sampling from March 02 to 20, 2015. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to gather information on socio-demographic, child feeding practices and health-related characteristics. Data were entered to Epi-Data version 3.02 and transported to SPSS version 21 for further analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to see the association between the outcome variables and explanatory variables, and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of minimum dietary diversity and meal frequency.ResultsThe study revealed that the percentage of 6–23 months of children who meet the recommended level of minimum dietary diversity and meal frequency were 27.3 and 68.9%, respectively. Mothers/caregivers who were housewives and government employees feed their children more diversified foods as compared to mothers who were private workers. As compared to children 17–23 months of age, children in the age group of 6–8 and 9–11 months had better probability to meet minimum dietary diversity. Government-employed and illiterate mothers were less likely to feed their children to fulfil the minimum requirement of meal frequency. Children in the age of 9–11 months were also less likely to be fed frequently.ConclusionsEven though the study showed better progress as compared to the national prevalence of complementary feeding practices, child feeding practices in the study area were inadequate and not achieving WHO infant and young child feeding recommendations. Strengthening the available strategies and creating new intervention measures to improve socioeconomic status, maternal literacy and occupation opportunity for better practices of child feedings are compulsory actions for the government and policymakers.

Underweight, Stunting and Wasting among Children in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania; a Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

This study assessed the prevalence and risk factors associated with underweight, stunting and wasting among children aged 0–24 months in six districts of Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania. A cross-sectional population-based study using a multistage, proportionate to size sampling was conducted from June 2010 to March 2011. A structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic, economic, feeding and child information. Anthropometric data were collected by trained field workers, and the data were used to assess child nutritional status. A total of 1870 children were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of children classified as underweight was 46.0%, stunting was 41.9%, and wasting was 24.7%. About 33% were both underweight and stunted, and 12% had all three conditions. In a multivariate logistic regression, child age, child being ill and birth weight were associated with all anthropometric indices. Child being breastfed was associated with being underweight and wasting. Mother’s education was associated with being underweight and stunting. Fathers aged 35+ years, and living in the Hai district was associated with stunting, and being female was associated with wasting. The prevalence of child undernutrition is high in this region. Strategies that target each risk factor for child undernutrition may help to reduce the problem in the region.

Prevalence of Malnutrition among Children Aged 6-59 in Haramaya District, Oromia, Ethiopia

Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet. Under nutrition is prevalent around the world. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of under nutrition and factors affecting nutritional status among children aged 6-59 months in Haramaya, eastern Ethiopia. The data were collected by using a well-structured pretested questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements of the children were taken to assess the nutritional status of the children. The prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight were 36.07% [95% CI (0.314, 0.408)], 14.43% [95% CI (0.110, 0.179)] and 23.63% [95% CI (0.195, 0.278)], respectively. The current study showed that the prevalence of child under-nutrition is highly prevalent in Haramaya district. Community based nutrition program should be established; continuous nutrition supervision based on each nutritional status indicators and special attention to severely malnourished children is necessary to attempt the problem of malnutrition.

Understanding Stunting and the Common Characteristics of Households with a Stunted Child

Bangladesh is a middle-income country with a history of devastatingly high rates of child and maternal undernutrition. However, there has been a steady decline in the prevalence of childhood undernutrition in the last two decades: while the prevalence of rural children under five was just over 70% in 1990, it had declined to 33% by 2011. Despite this dramatic improvement, the actual number of malnourished children in this highly populated country is still high when compared to other developing countries. The current national prevalence of childhood stunting, a measure of chronic malnutrition, is 36.1% (BDHS, 2014). Malnutrition and food insecurity are among the greatest public health threats in the country.

Understanding the null‐to‐small association between increased macroeconomic growth and reducing child undernutrition in India: role of development expenditures and poverty alleviation

Empirical evidence suggests that macroeconomic growth in India is not correlated with any substantial reductions in the prevalence of child undernutrition over time. This study investigates the two commonly hypothesized pathways through which macroeconomic growth is expected to reduce child undernutrition: (1) an increase in public developmental expenditure and (2) a reduction in aggregate income‐poverty levels. For the anthropometric data on children, we draw on the data from two cross‐sectional waves of National Family Health Survey conducted in 1992–1993 and 2005–2006, while the data for per capita net state domestic product and per capita public spending on developmental expenditure and headcount ratio of poverty were obtained from the Reserve Bank of India and the Government of India expert committee reports. We find that between 1992–1993 and 2005–2006, state‐level macroeconomic growth was not associated with any substantial increases in public development expenditure or substantial reductions in poverty at the aggregate level. Furthermore, the association between changes in public development expenditure or aggregate poverty and changes in undernutrition was small. In summary, it appears that the inability of macroeconomic growth to translate into reductions in child undernutrition in India is likely a consequence of the macroeconomic growth not translating into substantial investments in development expenditure that could matter for children's nutritional status and neither did it substantially improve incomes of the poor, a group where undernutrition is also the highest. The findings here build a case to advocate a ‘support‐led’ strategy for reducing undernutrition rather than simply relying on a ‘growth‐mediated’ strategy. Key messages Increases in macroeconomic growth have not been accompanied by substantial increases in public developmental spending or reduction in aggregate poverty headcount ratio in India.Association between increases in public development expenditure or poverty headcount ratios and changes in child undernutrition, in particular, child stunting, is small to null.Reducing the burden of undernutrition in India cannot be accomplished solely relying on a growth‐mediated strategy, and a concerted support‐led strategy is required.

Increasing socioeconomic inequality in childhood undernutrition in urban India: trends between 1992-93, 1998-99 and 2005-06.

This article examines the trends and pattern in socioeconomic inequality in stunting, underweight and wasting among children aged <3 years in urban India over a 14-year period. We use three successive rounds of the National Family Health Survey data conducted during 1992-93, 1998-99 and 2005-06. The selected socioeconomic predictors are household wealth and mother's education level. We use principal component analysis to compute a separate wealth index for urban India for all three rounds of the survey. We have used descriptive statistics, concentration index and pooled logistic regression to analyse the data. The results show that between 1992-93 and 2005-06, the prevalence of childhood undernutrition has declined across household wealth quintiles and educational level of mothers. However, the pace of decline is much higher among the better-off socioeconomic groups than among the least-affluent groups. The result of pooled logistic regression analysis shows that the socioeconomic inequality in childhood undernutrition in urban India has increased over the study period. The salient findings of this study call for separate programmes targeting the children of lower socioeconomic groups in urban population of India.

Prevalence of undernutrition during hospitalisation in a children’s hospital: what happens during admission?

The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of undernutrition in children on presentation to hospital and on discharge. On a screening week, 141 children aged from birth to 17 years who were hospitalised for ⩾72 h were reviewed on presentation and discharge or after 3 months (if still in hospital) by auditing hospital records. Weight for age standard deviation (s.d.<-2) was used to define undernutrition on admission and discharge. The number of children referred for dietetic advice was recorded. The prevalence of undernutrition on admission was 27% (14% moderate (s.d.: -2 to -3) and 13% severe (s.d.: ⩾-3)) according to weight s.d. and increased to 32% by discharge (11% moderate; 21% severe). The most nutritionally vulnerable children, with a prevalence of undernutrition from 33 to 53% on admission, were aged less than 2 years, inpatients for >1 month and those with multiple medical problems. In all, 74% (n=104) of cases were referred to Dietetics, including 73% (n=79) of those without evidence of undernutrition. Undernutrition is a major problem in children during hospitalisation. The risk of nutritional depletion needs to be identified at the time of admission, especially for children under 2 years and those with multiple medical problems, in order to initiate appropriate nutritional intervention.

674 Pulmonary Function and Nutritional Status of Children Exposed to Small Scale Agate Industrial Units in Shakarpur, Gujarat - India

BackgroundIn Shakarpur of Khambhat, a coastal city of Gujarat, India, several small agate polishing units operate from individual houses. Prevalence of Silicosis and other co-morbid conditions is systematically documented recently....

Anthropometric profiles of children with congenital heart disease

Background: Undernutrition is a common cause of morbidity in children with CHD. Previous data from developing country showed prevalence of preoperative undernutrition in children with CHD was up to 45%. The aim of this study are to determine the anthropometric profiles and prevalence of undernutrition in children with CHD by using the anthropometric measurement. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in children aged 0-2 years old with CHD in Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital. All patients underwent an anthropometric evaluation (weight, length and head circumference) at presentation. Undernutrition, failure to thrive /FTT, short stature and microcephaly were determined according to WHO, weight-for-length, weight-for-age at 2 points, length-for-age, head circumference-for-age z-score &lt; -2SD accordingly. Results: We had total of 95 patients, 73 patients with acyanotic and 22 patients with cyanotic lesions. Prevalence of undernutrition in CHD was 51.1%, with 22.3% severe undernutrition. FTT was found in 64.9%, short stature in 49.5% and microcephaly in 37% patients. FTT was found higher in acyanotic (72.2%) compared to cyanotic lesions (42.9%). In acyanotic, weight was affected more than length (72.2% vs 49.3%). In cyanotic, weight and length affected equally (42.9% vs 54.5%). Diet counseling were done in patients with undernutrition. Medicines, transcatheter or surgery intervention were indicated in selected patients. Conclusions: Prevalence of FTT was higher than undernutrition in children with CHD. FTT was found higher in acyanotic lesions. In acyanotic, weight was affected more than length. In cyanotic, weight and length affected equally. (Med J Indones 2011; 20:40-5) Keywords: congenital heart disease, failure to thrive, short stature, undernutrition