ABSTRACT
The study was based on one hundred children under two years of age, with weight below the third centile on Tanner Growth Chart, admitted to Al-Mansour Children Teaching Hospital, Saddam Medical City, during the period from 1st December, 1992 to the 1st of April, 1993. 57 children were males, 43 were females, with male preponderance of 1.3:1. 69 children [69%] were below one year of age. 53 [53%] children were marasmus, and abnormality short, below3rd centile, and regarded as failure to thrive. 40 patients [40%] were underweight, 5 patients [5%] were marsumus-Kwashiorkor, and 2 patients [2%] were kwashiorkor. In 22 patients [22%] malnutrition was due to defective intake. None were due to neglect or deliberate underfeeding. In 78 patients [78%] malnutrition was due to organic causes; of in which 34 patients [34%] were it was due to chronic gastro-enteritis. Serial monitoring of body weight and dietary intake records will provide useful information on the nutritional state of ill children