[Serum iron concentration in malnourished children from an urban and rural area in Democratic Republic of the Congo]. / Concentration sérique en fer au cours de la malnutrition chez l'enfant: cas d'une zone urbaine et rurale en République Démocratique Congo.

INTRODUCTION: malnutrition (protein energy malnutrition, vitamin deficiency) contributes to anemia. At the same time, iron-deficiency anemia is one of the most common nutritional disorders in the world, especially in developing countries. This study aims to determine iron concentrations in malnourished children aged 6 -59 months and factors associated with variation in iron levels. METHODS: we conducted a cross-sectional study from 01 July 2013 to 31 July 2014. The study involved 180 malnourished children and the study period began right after their admission in Nutrition Care Center. Another group living in the outskirts of the town, in the village Kawama, was included in the study. Venous puncture was performed, blood collection tubes of each patient were centrifuged and then analyzed by spectroscopy. RESULTS: one hundred and seventy children (93.4%) had serum concentration lower than the normal value. However, 12 children (6.59%) had serum iron concentration between 610-1300 µg/L with mean concentration of 159.5 µg/L. Out of 170 children with serum iron concentration of <610 µg/L, 79 children (42.18%) were under the age of 24 months, 3 of whom (1.78%) were under the age of 6 months. In Kawama, 62 children (36.47%) had iron concentration <610. There was no statistically significant association between iron and risk factors, except for the provenance variable with P considered significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: serum iron concentration were lower in acutely or chronically malnourished children on admission, with a mean iron concentration of approximately 159.5 µg/L; this would justify the vast iron fortification programs of different foods and/or the administration of iron in the first week while treating complications (malaria, bacterial infections and other parasitic infections).

[Trace elements in serum of malnourished and well-nourished children living in Lubumbashi and Kawama]. / Eléments traces dans le sérum des enfants malnutris et bien nourris vivants à Lubumbashi et Kawama dans un contexte d'un environnement de pollution minière.

INTRODUCTION: The role of trace metals elements in human nutrition can no longer be ignored. Deficiency caused by inadequate dietary intake, secondary deficiencies often under - estimated, and iatrogenic deficiencies lead to pathologies such as infections and others. For this reason their dosages are particularly important to assess disease severity and to facilitate early treatment or improve patient's diet. The aim of this study was to determine trace elements profile in blood (copper, selenium, zinc, iron, chromium, cobalt, etc.) among malnourished and well-nourished children in a mining community in Lubumbashi. METHODS: Three hundred eleven cases have been collected, 182 malnourished children and 129 well-nourished children in a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted from July 2013 to December 2014. Exhaustive sampling was performed. Metal determination in serum was performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy (ICP-OES/MS) in the laboratory at Congolese Control Office in Lubumbashi. RESULTS: Essential trace elements (copper, zinc, selenium and iron) were found at very low concentrations in both the malnourished and well-nourished children. Arsenic, cadmium, magnesium and manganese concentrations were normal compared with reference values in well-nourished children Antimony, chromium, lead and cobalt levels were high in both the malnourished and well-nourished children. Nickel level was normal malnourished and well-nourished children. Magnesium, manganese were found in very low levels in malnourished children. CONCLUSION: Both the malnourished and well-nourished children suffer from deficiencies of essential trace elements associated with trace metals elements This allows to assume that essential micronutrients deficiency promotes the absorption of heavy metals.

[Clinical signs of malnutrition in children living around a mining area: a case study in the city of Lubumbashi and its surrounding]. / Signes cliniques rencontrés chez l'enfant malnutri dans un milieu minier: cas de la ville de Lubumbashi et ses environs.

INTRODUCTION: Malnutrition remains to this day a major public health problem, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to determine the clinical signs observed in malnourished children admitted to a care unit. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted from July 2013 to December 2014. Our study included 311 cases (182 malnourished children and 129 well-nourished children), based on exhaustive sampling, with an active screening of malnourished and well-nourished children. The diagnosis was made clinically and was associated with anthropometry. RESULTS: The main collected symptoms in malnourished children were: cough or pneumonia in 42.50%, gastroenteritis in 38.55%, skin lesions in 22.91% of cases, fever in 22.35% of cases, edema in 19.0% of children, pallor in 8.38% of children; finally splenomegaly and hepatomegaly were the less common symptoms (1.68% and 2.89% respectively). Well-nourished children, instead, showed splenomegaly and fever associated with malaria. CONCLUSION: Malnourished children living around a mining area don't differ in symptomatology from the other malnourished children, except for hepatomegaly and splenomegaly which are very rare in our malnourished children.