Risk factors for severe acute malnutrition in children under the age of five year in Sukkur

ABSTRACT

Severe acute malnutrition [SAM] affects approximately 13 million children under the age of 5 year and is associated with 1-2 million preventable child deaths per year. To determine the risk factors for severe acute malnutrition in children under the age of five year. Settings and duration Nutrition stabilization center of Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College Hospital Sukkur from February 2011 to January 2012. This was a prospective descriptive study. All children diagnosed as severe acute malnutrition, defined as weight for height measurement of < 70% of the median or > 3 SD below the mean World Health organization reference values or the presence of bilateral pitting edema of nutritional origin admitted in Nutrition Stabilization Center were included in this study. Two hundred seventy [270] children were admitted during study period. The age ranged from 06 to 59 months. Maternal illiteracy was present in 216[80%] and paternal illiteracy in 180[66.7%] cases. Parent's income was less than 5000/month in 198[73.3%], family size with more than 4 or more children was seen in 180[66.7%] cases. Exclusive breast feeding was present in only 70[25.9%], mixed feeding was seen in 170[62.9%] and only bottle feeding was seen in 30[11.1%] cases. Late weaning was started in 150[55.6%]. Recurrent diarrhoea was seen in 120[44.4%]. The common risk factors associated with severe acute malnutrition were parental illiteracy, large family size, poverty, non exclusive breast feeding and recurrent diarrhoea. Policy message To decrease childhood malnutrition mothers should be encouraged for exclusive breast feeding. Parent's education can play an important role in improving child health